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University of Western Ontario
LIBRARY
lONDON LANAO\
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1
OF THE
Trial of the Libel Suit of Dr. G. S. Howard, of
Carleton Place, Ont., against the "Montreal
Star."— Reprint from the "Star," 1898.
Dr. G. 5. Howard.
SIS WILLIfllH IHEBEDITH, CHlBf JUSllGfi Of Ontario,
IN HIS ADDRESS TO THE JURY:
" No man can calculate the harm such a man might
do in this community, if such a man as he is alleged
to be had come into this country ; one would feel sym-
pathy at all events with the sentinel who warned the
people against him."
Ill
( .
,'H- -
' . . '
\
4
// That man dare not have his past unearthed. He
cannot fence himself here, as he did in the examina-
tion for discovery, by saying, ' I decline to answer that
question.' He has got to if he goes into that box." —
Froni the address to the jury by Mr. Osler, Q. C. (of Toronto),
representing the defense in the trial..
. ■ ,;....f-t... a:.
•Ni
■r,
OF TKE
Trial of the Libel Suit of Dr. G. S. Howard, of
Carleton Place, Ont., against the ^'Montreal
Star."— Reprint from the "Star," 1898.
#
Dr.G.S.Moward.
m WlLLlfim PEDITH, cmef justice o[ Ontario,
IN HIS ADDRESS TO THE JURY:
" No man can calculate the harm such a man might
do in this community, if such a man as he is alleged
to be had come into this country ; one would feel sym-
pathy at all events with the sentinel who warned the
people against him."
v^
' The case before the Jury practically simmers down
to this : Is Howard a Brahmin-Indo-Fhilosophical Zealot
or a Simple Charlatan ? "—From the Star, April 27, 1898.
((
He obtained complete control over women because
they are very susceptible, and got complete possession
of the will of Mrs. Specht. Through her, he extracted
Money, Diamonds, and all for the benefit of this Order.
The Order turned out, however, to be his individual self."
— From the address to the Jury by Mr. Osier, Q. C. (of Toronto),
representing the Defense in the Trial.
SALUTATORY.
The following editorial appeared in the Montreal Daily Star, in
the issue of Wednesday, May 4, 1898:
"A mixture of Brahminism, Eastern Philosophy, Chris-
tianity and Religious duackery. We hope the work
has not been transplanted to Canada."
THE SAGE OF ARU.
The suit of Dr. Howard, of Carleton Place, Ontario, against the
Star for libel, is probably the most remarkable action ever tried in
Canada. The evidence, of which we have published a very full re-
port, forms an astounding story of educated credulity and religious
quackery. According to the evidence, Howard tried, or pretended
to try, to establish on this continent a new religion composed of a
mixture of Brahminism, Eastern Philosophy and Christianity. There
was a good deal of occultism in the new religion and a good deal of
balderdash about its rites and ceremonies. To say that Howard
occupied an exalted position in the new dispensation is to state the
case very mildly. He was known to his converts as "the Master,"
we beg pardon, "the Reverend and Respected Master, the Sage of
Aru." The Sage was entitled to wear a green silk robe (not sage
green) and to carry a sword with which to slay the "Elementals."
We are not quite sure what elementals are, but apparently they are
frisky little devils which inhabit human beings, trotting horses,
yellow dogs and witness boxes. At any rate, the Sage and the ele-
mentals appear to have given a great deal of trouble to each other.
Then the Reverend and Respected Master appeared to have been the
only member of the order on this continent who was capable of con-
trolling its finances.
Of course, as he states in one of his letters, he might have sent to
India "for a member of our Order of the Viasya Caste," but the gen-
tleman from the East would have been under the disadvantage of
being ignorant of the manners and customs of this continent. So,
very reluctantly, Howard, in addition to his spiritual and philosophic
labors, had to take the responsibility of looking after the cash as
well. The wealthy Specht family, of Gunston Hall, Va., were
among the early converts. Mrs. Specht was and is a cherished
member of the Howard flock, but the Sage now looks upon Mr.
Specht as the Rev. Mr. Stiggins looked upon the elder Weller, as "a
man of wrath." Mr. Specht was evidently a devoted husband, a
man of good principles and of Ivindly disposition. To please his wife
he gave live thousand dollars to the order, and probably had this
been the only sacrilice he was called upon to make "the work"
might still have been going on in Virginia. But according to his
statement, largely corroborated by other witnesses, he saw himself
confronted with more serious risks. His wife was under the control
of Howard, his home was bequeathed to Howard, his own liberty
was mortgagt^d to Howard, and then it is not surprising that he got
out a warrant for the arrest of Howard.
The Sage says he did not run away from the warrant; but at any
rate, he came to Canada, leaving "the work" and tie property of the
order behind. Perhaps he felt hurt at Specht's want of faith and
took this means of manifesting his disapproval. Some time after-
ward Mrs. Specht followed him to Carleton Place, where she, the
erstwhile mistress of Gunston Hall and leader of society in St.
Louis, has been living in his house and getting her meals at a hotel.
There is a good deal of the ludicrous in this story, but the smile is
always very near the tear. The chief result of "the work" is seen
in ruined homes, in wives separated from their husbands and moth-
ers from their children. We hope the work has not been trans-
planted to Canada. This is a free country, and men can teach al-
most anything they like in the way of religion; they can teach the
worship of the devil if they like, and the only remedy is publicity.
If the Howard school of philosophy has now got more publicity than
it wanted, the fact is due to the blunder of the Sage. His horoscope
was at fault. We do not think that he will find this climate favor-
able to the development of the new religion. At any rate, our ad-
vice to the people of Lanark county is: "Do not allow your wives to
study Eastern philosophy."
it
i
DR HOWARD vs. THE STAR.
I
Trial of a Twcnty-Flvc Thousand Dollar Suit at Perth.
THE SAGE OF ARU AND HIS INDIAN OCCULT SCIENCE.
Breaking Up of a Respectable Southern Family— Thousands
of Dollars That Were Never Accounted For— Dr. Howard,
Hypnotist— Said to be in Montreal at Present— He is Wanted
in the Neighboring Republic for Alleged Frauds on one of
His Victims.
Dr. €w. S. Howard, Sage or Arn and iflanuractnrer of Patent
Medicine at Carleton Place, Ont.
The alleged libel was published in the Montreal Star June 4, 1894,
the plaintiff having allowed nearly four years to pass before enter-
ing his action. The article in full reads as follows:
Washington, D. C, June 4. — Unless some hitch occurs in securing
his extradition, Dr. Granby S. Howard, who is alleged to have
swindled Mrs. Joseph H. Specht, of Gunston Hall, Va., wife of a
6
6
wealthy St. Louis clothing dealer, out of l|?5,()0(), will soon be lodged
behind the bars of Fairfax county gaol. The Commonwealth At-
torney of that county has been informed that Howard is in Mon-
treal, and is now in communication with the police authorities of
that city with a view of his detention until government officials can
secure the co-operation of the Htate Department in securing extradi-
tion. Negotiations to that end are now in progress, and the Fairfax
authorities are confident that Howard will be brought to trial. There
is said to be a strange story of alleged hypnotic intluence connected
with the att'air. Howard is an Englishman about (JO years of age,
of good education, and when he went to St. Louis represented him-
self as an ollicer of the Eleventh Lancers of the British service. He
told many stories about experiences in India, and started in St.
Louis an order with Eastern rites, styled ''The Wisdom of God,"
into which he initiated ^Irs. Spec'.it and her daughter. The Spechts
a few years ago purchased the historical county seat of Col. Henry
Mason, a contemporary of Washington's. Howard soon appeared
on the scene, and, it is charged, acquired complete hypnotic control
over Mrs. Specht, who fell in with Howard's plan to establish a col-
lege of occultism at (lunston Hall. Mv. Specht and his sous were
unable to stop Mrs. Specht from aiding Howard's schemes tinan-
cially, until they forced him to llee for fear of arrest, in connection
with a !if!.5,000 note which Mr. Specht had given his wife, and of
which it is charged Howard became possessed.
The case was tried at Perth, the county seat of Lanark county,
and a verbatim i-eport of the trial is here reprinted:
RErORT OF THE TRIAL.
(Special to the Star.)
Perth, Ont, April 27. — One of the most interesting libel suits
which has ever occupied the attention of a Canadian court is in
progress at the spring assizes of Lanark county here, before his
honor. Sir William Meredith. The plaintitt* is Granby Staunton
Howard, of Carleton Place, Ont.; defendants, Graham & Company,
of Montreal, publishers of the Montreal Daily Star.
The case is interesting in many ways, some of the proof brought
out so peculiar and startling that it was hardly possible to believe
tlie sworn testimony. The case revealed the fact that Carleton
TPlace has at present the honor of being the residence of a most pe-
culiar individual, about whom and whose teachings a great deal was
written in the American papers a few years ago. This is the plain-
tiff in the case, who is known in the neighborhood as "Dr." Howard,
though he has no license as a medical practitioner in Canada. His
ostensible means of subsistence is a patent medicine business; but
according to the testimony of his own friends, he devotes a great deal
of time to the study of the philosophies of the East and to the dis-
semination of knowledge about the occult sciences. It is to his con-
nection with these things and the influence he obtained, partly
I
i
through their aid, over some members of certain wealthy families in
Missouri and Virginia that the evidence before the court was largely
directed.
Howard is a sufficiently interesting man in his own personality
to attract attention anywhere. He stands considerably over six feet
in height, and with a stalwart figure well proportioned in every par-
ticular. Possessed of a really handsome face and courtly address,
he has the added advantage of a splendid education and great power
of self-command. He is said to have been the model of Hoft'man
for the dignified, bearded and turbanned sage who stands, his beard
rested on one of his hands, to the left of the famous picture of
"Christ in the Temple." So his friends say, at any rate, and the fig-
ure might pass for a very fair likeness.
But he derives an additional interest from the air of mystery with
which he has apparently carefully surrounded himself from the sin-
gular devotion of his followers, from the sensationally mysterious
character of his teachings, and from the claims to historical im-
portance he made to some of the witnesses examined in this sensa-
tional case. According to the evidence, Howard has told that he is
descended from the historical Howards of Norfolk on his fatlier's
side; that he was a baron by descent, one of the original thirty
barons of England; that while he was heir to the baronial estate he
went to India, entered the Brahmin-Indian order and gave up his
heirship to his younger brother.
Then he is stated in the evidence to have represented himself as
the colonel of the famous Seventeenth Lancers, "The Death or Glory
Boys," and as a matter of fact to have served through the Indian
mutiny with that dlstinguislied corps.
Then he claimed to some of the witnesses to have cultivated 20,000
acres of land in Northumberland, near the Scottish border; and,
moreover, represented himself to be the proud possessor of immense
tracts of land In Canada. That, of course, was during his residence
in the South.
The testimony showed tliat he claimed to have been an intimate
acquaintance of the Duke of Newcastle and to have accompanied
H. R. H., the Prince of Wales, to Canada and the United States as
a member of his suite.
A PRINCE, TOO.
His mother, he claimed, was an East Indian Begum, and through
that connection he had the right to the title "Prince of Praagaya."
It was, moreover, stated in the evidence that this celebrated man
claimed to be a great friend of Her Majesty the Queen; that in her
presence he was allowed to retain his hat upon his head; that he
would take off his hat, and Her Majesty would say, "Don't uncover."
Then he claimed among certain other things to be a member of the
Royal Yacht Squadron.
It was in connection with his so-called philosophical and religious
w
work, however, that, according to the evidence, he made the most
startling claims. In this connection he was entitled to the designa-
tion "The Sage of Aru." (Aru is supposed to be a place in the
Hymalayas.) His religion was superior to Christianity, which it was
destined to supplant, and he claimed all sorts of mysterious powers
and advanced certain strange doctrines.
Howard's attorneys frankly admitted that he is a disciple of oc-
cultism, and the efforts of the defense were directed to proving that
he was actuated by base material motives, rather than by spiritual
yearning. That he had made converts among persons of high intelli-
gence of a certain class was admitted, as also the fact that some of
these persons have undergone self-abnegation to a simply amazing
degree, a peculiar psychological phenomenon which brought Howard
into questionable distinction. The case before the jury practically
simmered down to this: "'Is Howard a BraJwiin-Indo-philosophical
zealot or a simple charlatan?^' He had been called a necromancer — a
necromancer with the minds and souls of men and women — princi-
pally women — mazed in his vague doctrines. And through all, it
had been remarked, was the clink of gold. There was no mystery
about that. It was Howard's power of securing money from those
under his strange influence that precipitated a series of prosecutions
in the United States that 'fulminated in this libel trial in Perth.
Howard's only witnesses are three married women, all women of re-
fi jement and brilliant attainments, one at least of whom has aban-
doned a home surrounded by all that great wealth and loving care
can provide in the United States, to be near him who she reverently
addresses as "Lord and Master," preferring to live in his house and
take her meals at a country inn than to preside as mistress in her
own handsome home on the banks of the Potomac, with the indul-
gent husband who had been her mate for twenty-eight years. Mrs.
Howard, a very keen-looking little woman, was also present in court,
but only as a witness.
After the suit had been entered a representative of the Star was
sent to Washington and Virginia to thoroughly investigate the case,
and on his report a plea of justifiaction was made and a commission
issued by the court for the taking of evidence in the Southern States
on the application of the defendants.
tc
81
THE SCENE OF OPERATIONS.
The commissioner appointed was R. E. Thornton, a clever young
lawyer of Fairfax county, Va., who had acted as counsel for Mrs.
Specht in some of her litigation. In view of the high character of
the gentleman in question, this was considered no ground for objec-
tion by the defense. Fairfax county, which plays such a prominent
part in this case, is one of the most interesting localities historically
in America. It was here that some of the proudest of the old Eng-
lish cavalier families settled. Here is situated Mount Vernon, the
home and now final resting place of George Washington. At Guns-
the most
designa-
e in the
3h it was
3 powers
le of oc-
ing that
spiritual
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[ Eng-
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Guns-
ton Hall was drawn up by Col. George Mason and Jefferson the Vir-
ginia Bill of Rights, the original of the Declaration of American In-
dependence. Alexandria, formerly in the county, was the British
military headquarters in old colonial days. The old stone mansion
where the ill-fated Braddock had his headquarters and where Wash-
ington received at his hands his first commission as a British officer,
just before the disastrous expedition to the valley of the Ohio, is still
standing, and the visitor is shown the solid oaken floors made of
planks brought out from England, and the hooks in the pantry ceil-
ings, where tliey used to hang the sides of bacon imported from the
old country. At Fairfax Court House were fired the first musket
sho*s of the bloody war of the American Rebellion, some of the bul-
let marks in the brick walls of the court-house still being pointed
out to the stranger. Mosby's famous Confederate cavalry corps was
recruited in this locality, and the gallant Mosby himself still lives
in the vicinity to entertain his neiglibors with his reminiscences.
Fairfax Court House could easily liave contributed seven hills for
the building of Rome and have sufficient supply remaining for local
uses. With its incorporation as a village, dating back to 1744, more
or less interested in all the historical incidents scattered through
the period of a century and a half, the silent witness of three great
wars, two for independence and the other for preservation closely al-
lied with many places which have become Meccas for American pilr
grims, the little borough lives to itself and for itself.
In the county clerk's office, where F. D. Richardson presides as a
genial gentleman and capable official, the traveler is shown, inclosed
in an air-tight glass case, the original copy of George Washington's
will. The penmanship is discolored and dimmed by age, the parch-
ment is torn and mutilated by repeated handling, but the whole re-
mains a priceless relic. In an ancient register is preserved the poll
of the first election for burgesses. In those days the voter made a
viva voce designation of his choice, which was recorded by the clerk
beneath the candidate's name. It was a fine time when the office-
seeker could classify his friends and foes, and after an election was
in a position to wreak appropriate vengeance.
The ?ittle temple of jtjstice which gives the place its name stands
to-day, as it has for scores of years, without alteration. Of minia-
ture dimensions, built of red brick, which has yielded to the elements
until the structure presents a rather mottled appearance, it contains
nothing but the auditorium, with a high ceiling and antiquated
furniture. Narrow windows, fifteen feet in height, fitted with solid
wooden shutters, admit a generous supply of light. It is a court
room pure and simple. The various county officials have their offices
located in outlying buildings, selected far more for convenience sake
than because of architectural beauty.
The court-house lies inland from the Southern Railroad a distance
of five and a half miles. An ancient vehicle, drawn by two ancient
horses, covers the distance over a winding country road, passing up
and down countless hills at a leisurely rate of speed, which has
10
earned for itself the appropriate designation of the "Virginia
Creeper."
On either side grow stunted cedars and better developed pines,
with their dwarfed cones darkened by the unvarying heat. Large
tracts of luxuriously grown underbush and saplings cover the hill-
sides and disappear beyond tlieir crests. Here and there a clump of
oak rear their heads skyward, with an occasional specimen of the
ash, indicating that the country was once well timbered. Along the
rail fences creep many varieties of vines, with here and there a
clump of wild raspberry bushes, with a few scattering red berries,
drying in the withering sunlight. Over the low-lying hills Lord
Fairfax rode on horseback toward the close of the colonial days;
through these narrow country roads Chief eJustice Marshall drove
his two-wheeled gig; the very ground itself belonged to the personal
estate of George Washlngtou; within twenty miles at Gunston Hall
his great personal friend (ei-ony in fact), Col. George Mason, wrote
the Virginia Bill of Kights and Jefferson made a rough draft of the
Declaration of Independence; and down these same lanes Lafayette
passed during his (riumplial visit to the land whose freedom he had
aided in establishing, and settling down amid all of these dreams
and memories had come the spirit of Oriental mystery. Over these
same hlghwa3's and into these same mansions came Dr. Granby
Staunton Howard, the high priest of occultism, proclaiming a doc-
trine whose psychoUgcal phenomenon has never been surpassed
Whether charlatan or fanatic, his personal magnetism chained to
himself the minds and souls of men. Here became the national
headquarters of the Occidental Branch of the Oriental Order of the
Sat Bai Kooha, of which Dr. Howard was grand sponsor. As a past
master of occultism he sustained relations with Adonai and the
Angel Gabriel, communed with the stars and cast horoscopes, con-
versed through space with the Mahatmas of the Himalayas, rein-
carnated Rameses HL, Buddha and the Messiah and communed with
the familiar spirits by which he was constantly surrounded. It was
a fitting locality for such an installation of mysteries.
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THE CASE OPENS.
The commission completed its work some weeks ago, and now the
result of its inquiry is about to be submitted to a jury of the level-
headed, sturdy-limbed yeoman of Lanark county. Sir William Mere-
dith took his seat on the bench at 10 o'clock yesterday, and after a
formal presentment from the grand jury on their inspection of the
county gaol had been received and the good men and true composing
the grand jury discharged, the case of Howard vs. Graham was
called. Both sides were ready, Mr. F. R. Latchford, of Ottawa, and
Mr. T. K. Allan, of Kemptville, appearing for the plaintiff, and Mr.
B. B. Osier, Q. C, of Toronto, and Mr. W. D. Hogg, Q. C, of Ottawa,
appearing for the defendant. The court was crowded with specta-
tors, including many of the leading people, ladies and gentlemen, of
11
Virginia
id pines,
Large
the liill-
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lis Lord
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ton Hall
n, wrote
ft of the
afayette
I he had
dreams
er these
Granby
g a doo-
irpassed
lined to
Qational
r of the
s a past
nd the
^es, con-
is, rein-
led with
It was
iow the
level-
Mere-
ifter a
of the
iposing
was
[a, and
id Mr.
ttawa,
^pecta-
len, of
i
this pretty, fashionable little town. A jury was quickly impaneled
and sworn as follows: James Allan, Alexander McTavish, William
Barr, Thomas McVeitty, Wm. H. Butler, Thomas Craig, Patrick
McGarry, Robert Cochrane, Alexander Purden, William Crossgrain,
William Penman and Louis Giroux.
Mr. Latchford briefly addressed the jury, explaining the plaintiff's
position. The plaintiff lived in Montreal from 1887 until about 1891,
when he went to the United States. He remained there till 1894,
when he returned to Montreal. That was in :he latter part of May,
1894. In June the Star published the article complained of, which
Mr. Latchford read. The Star had a very large circulation not only
in the Province of Quebec, but also in Ontario as well, and in the
other provinces, too. The statements published in the article in
questioQ, the plaintitt' held, were absolutely without any foundation
whatever, and the wide circulation given to them was certainly cal-
culated to injure him grievously.
The defense voluntarily admitted the publication of the alleged
libelous article, and Mr. Latchford announced that that was the
case for the plaintiff".
Then Mr. Osier, Q. C, briefly explained the case for the defense.
"We plead and say," he remarked, "that the article in question is
true in substance and in fact. The case we make is somewhat a pe-
culiar one, dealing with matters somewhat outside usual human
experience. Howard, the plaintiff, met the Specht family, people
of considerable wealth, out in St. Louis, and fastened himself on to
them, using his influence with the wife to get money from the hus-
band for certain work which he did not carry on. The result was
the breaking up of a previously happy family, the wife, through this
man's influence, losing her confidence in the husband who had
treated her kindly. This man Howard claimed to be a member of the
great Norfolk Howard family in the North of England, to have been
a colonel in Her Majesty's army, to have been hign up in some sortof
Brahmin-Indian religion, to be entitled to be called the Sage of Aru,
and generally enveloped himself in that class of influence which
surrounds a fakir. He obtained complete control over women be-
cause they are very susceptible, and got complete possession of the
will of Mrs. Specht. Through her he extracted money, jewels, and
all for the benefit of this order. The order turned out, however, to
be this individual himself."
Mr. Osier said that the dispatch in question came to the Star in
the ordinary course. The defendant had a duiy as a journalist.
There is a stern duty which a newspaper owes to the public. When
it publishes an exposure of a man's character and is sued for libel,
it must not give a character to a man who does not deserve it by a
settlement or an apology. In these days of rapid transit the press
has a useful mission to perform in enlightening the public as to the
character of strangers who come to live among them. The press
can protect the public from people of bad character, who change
their operations from one country to another in a night. If Howard
12
was the kind of man the article complained of said he was, the com-
munity had the right to know what kind of a man had come into
their midst. The jury represented the sober common sense of the
community, and one of their duties as good citizens was to put down
humbug. One might naturally wonder why, if he had sustained
any injury to his character by the publication of this article, the
plaintiff had waited four years before having this case taken. Was
he using the paper in trying to replenish his treasury, thinking that
the paper would find it cheaper to settle with him than to defend
the case?
Mr. Osier then proceeded to read the evidence of the commission,
but Mr. Latchford objected. The commissioner had been sworn as
such by Judge Bingham, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the
District of Columbia. There was a stamped certificate of the clerk
of that court that Judge Bingham was a judge, but no proof that
he was a judge of a court of record.
His lordship said that he could safely assume that from the very
title and designation of the court. At any rate it would be easy to
obtain evidence on that point.
The evidence taken before the commission in the United States
was then read to the jury as follows.
111!
the com-
tme into
e of the
ut down
iistained
icle, the
1. Was
ing that
) defend
mission,
worn as
't of the
he clerk
oof that
the very
easy to
i states
FIGURES FROM HOWARD'S LEDGER.
Thousands of Dollars Paid Him,
HIS VICTITV^S IN ST. LOUIS.
Celsus Price Paid Him Six Thousand Dollars— Nidelet, over
Five Thousand— tlie Gunston Temple and the Services
There.
Joseph Specht, a witness called on behalf of the defendants in the
above entitled cause, having been duly sworn, testified as follows:
By Mr. Hogg, Q. C:
Q. What is your full name, Mr. Specht?- A. Joseph Specht.
Q. What is your residence? A. My present residence is Guns-
ton, Va.
Q. Is Gunston a town? A. Gunston is rather a small village, with
a post office.
Q. You have a residence there? A. Yes, sir.
Q. What is it called? A. It is called Gunston Hall.
Q. Where have you lived the greater part of your life? A. The
greater part of my life I have lived in St. Louis, Mo.
Q. What business did you carry on? A. From 1875 to 1891 1 car-
ried on a general mercantile business.
Q. Was that on quite a large scale? A. In the latter part of that
time we had quite an extensive establishment, employing in the
neighborhood of two or three hundred people, and turning out
11,500,000 worth of merchandise per year.
Q. Were you in the business alone or had you partners? A. It
was a stock company. I was president of the company, and owned
a greater part of the stock.
Q. You are a married man, I believe? A. Yes, sir.
Q. About when were you married? A. About thirty-two years
ago.
Q. Were you living with your wife in St. Louis? A. We resided
in St. Louis in different places the most of our married life. The
last residence we had there was in West St. Louis, but of course we
lived in various places in St. Louis during that time.
Q. You had a family? A. Our family consisted of two sons, who
are now grown up, and one of whom is married, and two daugliters,
one of whom is married.
Q. One of your sons lives in Washington? A. Yes, sir; the eldest,
Joseph A. Specht.
18
w
14
Q. He is an Episcopal clergyman? A. He was ordained last fall.
He is not a full-fledged minister; be is in the ministry.
Q. Has he a charge here? A.. He is now assisting in the Church
of the Ascension during the absence of the minister and his assist-
ant, they both being sick.
Q. What were your family relations with Mrs. Specht? A. Well,
my relations with Mrs. Specht up to about 1891 were very pleasant
and agreeable. She was a good, faithful wife, a good mother and
everything of that kind, and we seemed to harmonize very nicely.
Q. Then there was no discord in the family? A. Not that I
know of.
Qi You state that she was a good mother. What were her rela-
tions with the children?
(Objected to by plaintiff, but objection overruled.)
A. During the time that the children were small, before they were
eleven or twelve years old, she was vei*y attentive in her duties as
a mother, taking an interest in all their little affairs and everything
else; but when the boys grew up to twelve or thirteen years old her
attention seemed to be drawn in a direction of writing books and
studying philosophy and mental science and everything of that kind;
and in order to get rid of these boys slie would give them money in
amounts I thought very indiscreet, sometimes |5 at a time and
sometimes |10, to go out and have a good time, which resulted in a
great deal of trouble later on with these boys. She wanted to get
rid of the care of them, having given so much attention to these out-
side studies.
Q. But in other respects the family went on quietly and hap-
pily? A. Yes, sir; up to 1891.
Q. In 1891 your sons were quite young men, were they not, or
were tlioy just lads? A. In 1891 one of them, I judge, must have
been about of age, and the other lad was within a year or two of it.
They were young men.
Q. When did you move to Gunston Hall? A. We moved to Guns-
ton Hall, I think, in the June of 1892, If I am not mistaken.
Q. How did you come to purchase Gunston Hall? A. I had been
a \erj busy man all my life, and having accumulated a sufficiency,
I had it in mind to get a country place, an outing place as it were,
to rest up and all that sort of thing. I heard of this place being for
sale through a lady who lived in Cleveland, Ohio, and so my wife
and I came to look at it, and we bought it. It seemed to suit her, it
suited me, and I purchased the property.
in|
oi
8i(
vel
of
THE MEETING WITH HOWARD.
Q. Do you know the plaintiff, Granby S. Howard? A. Yes, sir.
Q. When did you become acquainted with him? A. I became ac-
quainted with him in 1891.
15
last fall.
e Church
lis assist-
A. Well,
pleasant
ilher and
nicely.
)t that I
her rela-
hey were
duties as
^erything
s old her
Doks and
lat kind;
money in
:ime and
Ited in a
pd to get
hese out-
ind hap-
not, or
ist have
r'o of it.
0 Guns-
ad been
ciency,
t were,
ing for
ly wife
her, it
, sir.
me ao-
Q. About what time in 1891? A. It must have been in the spring
of 1891.
Q. Was that prior to the purchase of Gunston Hall? A. Yes, sir.
Q. Were you actuated in any way in that purchase of Gunston
Hall by your acquaintance with the plaintiff? A. No, sir.
Q. How did you happen to become acquainted with the plaintiff
in the spring of 1891? A. We had a family physician by the name
of Sylvester L. Nidelet.
Q. That was at St. Louis? A. At St. Louis.
Q. Now go on and state how you became acquainted with the
plaintiff in the spring of 1891? A. As I just stated, our family phy-
sician, Sylvester L. Nidelet, in 1887, 1 think, left the city of St. Louis
very suddenly. He was not only our family physician, but a friend
of the family; a man who was well connected, who had established
a practice in the city of St. Louis worth, I suppose, from $10,000 to
f 15,000 a year; a very excellent physician; and he left very suddenly
for the purpose of going to India, as he said, to study occultism. He
had a friend by the name of Celsus Price, whom lie had introduced
to our family. Celsus Price claimed that he was connected with his
lord and master in the Orient, and that he was in communication
with him.
Q. Did you ever see a letter which your wife received in the year
1887 from some person styling himself the Sage of Aru? A. There
is a copy of that letter here, the original of which I have in my pos-
session. This is a copy of the original. That is the first introduc-
tion my family had at that time.
Q. That is the first communication you know of coming to your
wife from the Sage of Aru? A. Yes, sir. When she received this
I saw it. I mean the original.
THE SAGE OF ARU.
Q. Did your wife show that letter to vou? A. Yes, sir.
Q. Did she tell you who the Sage of Aru was then? A. She
didn't know who he was then. She supposed it was some great oc-
cult man in India that had stooped so far as to write to a person who
was not worth being noticed, and everything of that kind.
Q. Did you know of any communication going on between your
wife and Howard, the plaintiff, after 1887, and before you personally
became acquainted with him? A. I have no doubt that before this
letter was written there were communications going on between
them through Celsus Price.
Q. Did you see them? A. No, I did not see any of those com-
munications.
Q. This is the first that you heard of the plaintiff? A. Yes, sir.
Q. Subsequently did you find out that Ihe so-called Sage of Aru
was the plaintiff Howard? A. Yes, sir.
10
l!.<'
hi
m
;i
m
IS
!!:!
Q. Then in the spring of 1891 you personally came in contact with
Howard, the plaintiff? A. Yes, sir.
Q. Where? A. In St. Louis.
Q. Do you know how he came there? I mean upon whose invita-
tion? A. Howard had Nidelet and Price urder his control, and
they were supposed to have gone to India, where Howard was sup-
posed to live. But, through an investigation v^hich I made later on,
after this fellow had decamped the country, I ascertained that Price
and Nidelet went to New York, and there they remained until all
their money was spent. This fakir, Howard, took all the money that
they had. I have a ledger which will show the amount that these
people put into his hands.
Q. About how much money did Price put into Howard's hands?
A. I have a ledger here that gives the amount. This is Dr. Howard's
ledger that came out of his private papers. He hid the box that he
kept these papers in. According to this ledger, Howard got from
Celsus Price over |6,000, and from Nidelet he got |5,352.
Q. Did you afterward become aware of the fact that these men,
Price and Nidelet, were followers of Howard's teachings? A. They
claimed to be his followers, to give up everything that they had to
him in order to follow out the life that he said that they should
have to live.
Q. Did you afterward, and prior to Howard's leaving the country,
know as a matter of fact that these men were his servants and fol-
/owing him?
THEIR LORD AND MASTER.
A. Certainly, they were perfect slaves to his will. They called him
lord and master, and cringed like a worm.
Q. Each of them called Howard, the plaintiff, lord and master?
A. Lord and master.
Q. And did his will? A. And did whatever he told them to do.
Q. Where were they when you observed these facts? A. These
two men were located at Gunston upon a small piece of property
that Howard bought. When I say Gunston I mean the little village
where the post office was.
Q. Not far from your residence? A. Not far from our residence.
And there I observed the perfect control that this man had over
these two men ; they were afraid to call their souls their own.
Q. One of these men, you say, had been your family physician in
St. Louis, and was a man of good standing? A. In good standing
and well connected.
Q. Both professionally and socially? A. Yes, sir.
Q. And he was there working this piece of land as the servant
and follower of Howard, the plaintiff? A. He did anything that
was to be done; yes.
Q. Those are the facts that you observed and became aware of
prior to Howard's leaving this country? A. Yes, sir.
17
ntact with
lose invita-
mtrol, and
d was sup-
le later on,
that Price
d until all
iioney that
that tliese
d's hands?
. Howard's
ox that he
I got from
these men,
* A. They
liey had to
aey should
le country,
its and fol-
icalled him
Id master?
to do.
^. These
property
tie village
cesidence.
had over
rn.
;^sician in
standing
servant
ling that
iware of
Q. In the spring of 1891, Howard came to St. Ix)uis and there was
introduced to you. How did the introduction come about? A. It
came about in this way; Celsus Price was the son of the famous
rebel general in Missouri; he was a man that was very popular in
that State, his father being a very prominent man, and he being a
colonel in the army, and having been offered the governorship of
the State; he stood very high. Howard had wasted all their money,
and in order to raise more money Howard wrote a lecture, which
was called "The Brahmin-Indian Philosophy." He wrote that lec-
ture and sent Price out to St. Louis. Price came to St. Louis one day
without a moment's notice and stopped at a hotel, and announced
himself to the newspaper men that he had come from India and that
he was going to lecture on the Brahmin-Indian Philosophy. This
lecture proved to be a failure. There were two attempts made to
deliver that lecture, and each attempt proved an empty house.
Then Howard came from Monti eal to St. Louis; that was in the
spring of 1891.
Q. Then Howard having come to St. Louis, how did you become
acquainted with him? A. Celsus Price having been introduced into
our family, IVft-s. Specht asked him to bring Howard, the Sage of Aru,
to the house, because she wanted to meet liim.
Q. Howard having been brought to the house, you, too, were in-
troduced to him? A. Yes, sir. Then we knew him as Dr. G. S. How-
ard. Before that we knew him as the Sage of Aru.
«A CHARITABLE INSTITUTION.
Q. Did anything come out of his introduction to you at that time?
= A. Mrs. Specht was enthusiastic in religious work; she contributed
largely to charity and other religious arrangements; and she was
very much interested in this fellow, because he said that he was
trying to organize an institution for the purpose of helping mankind;
healing the sick and helping the poor; in other words, to have a
charitable institution on a broad scale; that was their mission, and
they were trying to raise money to give this institution a start.
And this lecture being a failure, they were in a very bad condition,
did not have any means, and he wanted to raise money to start
religious organizations which he called his order.
Q. He told you that? A. Yes, sir.
Q. And that was the style of conversation you had with him
at that time; that was the general nature of the conversation?
A. I was naturally a little inquisitive to know what kind of a
scheme he was working, and my questions brought out those facts.
Q. What kind of a man did you find him at that time? How did
he affect your mind at that time? A. He impressed me very favor-
^ably, and he was a man that I would consider able to deceive almost
^any person in the world, because he was very smooth, seemed to be
^intelligent, well versed in everything, and above all, he was very
Idiploraatic in everything he said; a plausible fellow.
18
Q. Then the scheme that he had was a charitable and religious
one? A. Yes, sir; to heal the sick, feed the poor, clothe the naked
and all that sort of thing.
Q. Did he then make any solicitations upon you for money?
A. He said the failure of his lecture would not really have made
80 much difference if it had not been that he had obligated himself
to the amount of |3()0 that lie had to have at once, and his wife
would be put into a very bad predicament unless the money was
forwarded to her. Of course, I do not know what the predicament
was, but I have reason to think what it was.
thf
binl
Aul
in a
HOWARD GETS THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS.
Q. Then what did you or your wife do in consequence of that?
A. My wife seemed to be struck very favorably with this man,
and he of course spoke of his occult science and everything of tiiat
kind that I did not bother myself about, because I was not an occult
student. But at the suggestion of Mrs. Specht I gave this fellow
$300, so as to help him out of his trouble. I gave him that in cash
to please my wife.
Q. You gave Howard, the plaintiff, $300 to help him out of liis
difliculties at that time? A. Yes, sir.
Q. Then shortly afterward he left St. Louis? A. Yes, sir; he left
St. Louis.
Q. Did yon know where his home was at that time? A. He was
living in Montreal, on St. Antoine street.
Q. Do you remember what time of the spring it was that he was
in St. Louis. Was it in April or May? A. I would have to refer to
some papers for dates.
Q. At all events, it was prior to June, 1891? A. Yes, sir.
Q. Did you know tlsen that your wife was in communication
with him about that time and after he had left St. Louis?
A. Yes, sir;
A LETTER FROM MONTREAL.
lit
Q. Did you ever see a letter which your wife received from him,
written while he was in Montreal, dated June 11, 1891? A. Yes, sir.
This is the original letter. She showed me this letter.
Said letter is filed herewith, marked Exliibit No. 5.
Q. This Exhibit No. 5 was shown to you by your wife when she
received it? A, Yes, sir.
Q. It closes thus: "I am your faithful friend and sponsor,"
without anything further? A. Yes, sir.
Q. And this is the letter in which he says: "If I were to refuse
to work for the sick because tliey were unable to pay my fees I
would stand condemned before the angels as one who was pros-
tituting my God-given powers for earthly gain, see?" A. Yes, sir.
I
19
nd religious
e the naked
for money?
have made
ited himself
nd his wife
money was
predicament
RS.
ice of that?
I this man,
ling of that
at an occult
this fellow
hat in cash
I out of his
sir; he left
A. He was
hat he was
to refer to
ir.
nunication
St. Louis?
from him,
Yes, sir.
when she
sponsor,
Q. Do you know whether the lines written along the margin are
the plaintiff's handwriting? A. Those are in his handwriting.
Q. After your wife received that letter did she speak to you about
bim any more? A. My wife had further communications from him.
Q. I show you a letter signed ''G. 8. Howard," under date of
August 27, 1891; is that an original letter? A. This is the orig-
inal letter from Howard to my wife.
Q. And that mentions the necessity of having some money?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Five thousand dollars is referred to. In that letter he
speaks to your wife about the necessity of having $5,000; he wants
to know how the $5,000 will be paid him, whether he is to get it in
portions or the whole of it down, and the advantage it will be to
him to have the |5,000 paid down at once? A. Yes, sir.
(Said letter is tiled lierewith, marked exhibit No. 0.)
Q. After that letter came, what was done? A. Tlie wife
prevailed on me; she of course thought this man was an honest
nian and a good man, and would carry out what he agreed to carry
out, and do what he said he would do; she said it would afford her
great pleasure 'if I would allow this fellow to get a start; if I would
give him |5,000, on her account. "Well," I said, "if it makes vou
liapi)y to make this donation, and if the man will carry out what
he says, I have no doubt the money will be well spent." I agreed
to give him $5,000, and subsequently 1 sent him from St. Louis an
eastern exchange draft for $1,000, and after that, later on some
little while, I gave him four sight drafts for $1,000 each, accepted
by me as the president of our company, to be paid so many days
after sight, and he got the drafts for that money, $4,000 in Vir-
ginia, and the $1,000 he got in Missouri.
Q. Did he come to Gunston before all this money was paid?
A. This man came to Gunston immediately after he got the first
f 1,000 sent to him in eastern exchange. The wife and I happened
to be in Gunston at that time looking over the place; we went
down there to look at it to see what was to be done with it. And
although my wife had never known him before meeting him in St.
Louis, she had either written or telegraphed to him that we were
down there, and that she wanted him to come down and i)ick out
some property in the neighborhood. So, lo and behold! the fellow
turned up before I knew it, came walking up to the door; and it
was during his visit at that time that he got the $4,000 in sight
drafts.
Q. After that did he remain there steadily, or did he go back
to Montreal?
to refuse
ny fees I
was pros-
Yes, sir.
TEN DOLLARS FOR A PROPERTY.
, A. While he was there he bought a piece of property from
a woman by the name of Miss Freeman, for the price of $1,000
cash, having then the $5,000 in his pocket, as it were, and
2U
m
\k
ajrrcciri}; to pay the woman $1,0(10 cash. There were eleven a» rc^
of laiul with Honic little improvements on it, suflflcient to make liln
comfortable if he wanted to start eeonomieally. But instead o!
paying; her the $1,000 for which he had bonj^ht the property, he
^ave her $10 and thai is all the money she ever got. I think the
records of the Fairfax Court House will probably show that.
Q. Did he <^v{ a (h'cd from her, do you know? A. Yes, sir.
Q. Do you know that as a fact? A. Yes, sir.
Q. Did he remain there then continuously? A. No, he went
to Montreal and arranj«ed for movinf? down to Gunston. Then lit
went '"nd came as occasion recjuired until they were moved.
Q. Then he settled down at Gunston in the autunm of ISOl,
I suppose; would that be about rij;ht — or when? A. I should
think he came down in the autumn of ISOl; that is ray recollection
at all events. About this $10, I may possibly be mistaken; it mav
have been $20. However, the records of the court-house will
show that.
Q. It was a small sum. A. It was a very small sum, and
so much has hapjx'ned in the meantime that I do not want to be
positive about it, thouj?h I think it was $10.
Q. That is near enoujjjh. Then you think he settled down
there in the autumn of 1801. Did he build a house or was there a
house on the property? A. Immediately after he had bou^'lit
that place he bou<j;ht three horses and a great big three or four-incli
tire farm wagon, and came down there as if he was going to rip
up the whole country on eleven acres of land. I said to him,
"Why, my friend, this is something unusual for a man who wants to
nuike his money go as far as it can; the idea of buying three horses!
You haven't good feed enough to feed a cow with. And two farm
wagons — a small one and a large one! Why do j^ou get all that
stock?" He had bought two crippled horses in Baltimore and
brought them there, with a fine race horse for his own personal
comfort, to drivL- in a buggy. He says: "It is necessary for me to
have these things for my business." I said: "Your business is not
farming." He said: "You know I got the horses for the elementals
that were in the horses, to do my occult business."
CISCO A YELLOW DOG.
Q. Had he any other animals on the farm? A. He had a dog
called Cisco; a dog that seemed to be very valuable. He said
without that dog he could not get along, because he had an elemen-
tal that was very valuable.
Q. What you understood him to mean by elemental was
that he had an elemental that was part and parcel of the work-
ings of their order? A. Exactly; I suppose some spiritual — I
don't know what he meant really ; of course I had reason to think
what he meant.
itual
Q.
and
Q.
181)1,1
A. AJ
Nidell
Price
mystt
ticulal
cultivl
eiiiplo|
they
of the
in thi
home,
of latl
■shanty
of $5 1
that tl
out W
had c(
about
words,
Q. T
actual
people
Allen,
Louis;
school
and th
all tha
Q. \
down
in a cc
isolate
develo
finally
where
Q. \
meetin
Snnda;
mind
presse<
going i
Wheth
21
eleven ai r(>>
to make liiio
t instead of
property, be
I think tli(
I that.
!8, sir.
*Co, he went
n. Then In
ved.
nn of 1891,
A. I should
recoUection
ken; it niav
t-houso will
1 sum, and
want to be
ittlod dowE
was there a
had bou^lit
or four-incli
joing to rip
lid to him,
ho wants to
iree horses I
two farm
et all that
timore and
'n personal
for me to
ness is not
elementals
had a dog
He said
an elemen-
?ntal was
the work-
iritual — I
to think
Q. He did not explain it further than that? A. Home spir-
itual business. I suppose he meant the an i mars spirits.
Q. And that was the explanation he gave you about the horses
and dog? A. Ves, sir.
Q. That was to you personally? A. Yes, sir.
Q. What did he do there? A. He was there in the autumn of
181)1, and you say he remained there for some years oil" and on?
A. After he had moved down a little while, these men, Price and
Nidelet, came to Guuston, and also the brother of Price, QuintuB
Price; and that trio were down there and seemed to act very
mysteriously, though I couldn't say that they did anything par-
ticularly; they did some little pottering around on the ground,
cultivated the little land they had; nevertheless, they had a negro
employed to do the rough work. When he got this |5,0()() he said
they would use every dollar of it judiciously; that the members
of the order, which he claimed numbered between 3,000 and 5,000
in this country, when they come down there could make it their
home, and would go to work and build houses and do all the work
of lathing and plastering; but, instead of that, he put up a small
■shanty tJiat he subsequently lived in, and hired a man at $3 or |4
of $5 a day to do the work. When I saw that I made up my mind
that the fellow was a fraud. Then I sent my boy, Edward, who is
out West now, to Montreal to get Howard's record, but the fellow
had covered up his tracks so that I couldn't find out anything
about him, and I waited for further developments. In other
Words, he went back entirely on what he had agreed to do.
'Q. There was an order; what did they do — or had they any
actual meetings of the people belonging to it? A. The only
people I know that belonged to the order were a Mrs. W. L. G. B.
Allen, of St. Louis; my daughter, Mrs. Theodore A. Morrey, of St.
Louis; and my wife and little girl that is going to boarding-
school here now. She was supposed to be in the order as well;
and then these three men, the two Prices and Nidelet. Those were
all that belonged to the order, so far as I know.
Q. What did they do at this so-called home? A. These men were
down there for a time and seemed to potter around. Nidelet was
in a cottage by himself that had been rented, so that he would be
isolated, and would not interfere with the occult science and
development he was making. They remained there for a time and
Anally the two Prices left; they were sent out West, sent back home,
where they came from.
Q. When did they hold meetings of their council? A. They held
meetings on Sunday; they seemed to have a meeting there every
Sunday, and my wife attended those meetings. I made up my
mind that I would find out what that business fneant. I ex-
pressed a desire to join the order, just to find out, to see what was
going on ; and I had occasion to be invited \:t) come to the meetings.
Whether those meetings were carried on dififerently when I was
'5?
22
there I do not know ; I can simply say what I saw when I went to
the meetings.
Q. About what time was this meeting you went to?
THE GUNSTON TEMPLE.
Bl
A. The meeting was supposed to be at 12 o'clock noon, because the
sun had to be in a certain position at that hour in the signs of the
zodiajC, or else the meeting would not be blessed.
Q. Do you remember what time of the year that was or what
year? A. I judge that must have been in 1893.
Q. Would you say it was prior to March, 1893? A. It was prior
to Marcli, 1893. I attended a meeting at Gunston with my wife at
the temple — they called it the temple; that was the house he lived
in, a little bit of a frame house or shanty.
Q. Were there many there? A. There were present Sylvester
L. Nidelet, my wife, my little daughter, Howard, and Howard's so-
called wife. When I attended those meetings the Prices had already
been sent out West.
Q. You did not attend more than one meeting, did you? A. I at-
tended several about that time.
Q. And these you have named constituted the whole congrega-
tion of people. A. That was the congregation.
Q. You may tell us what took place at the first meeting you went
to. A. At the first meeting I attended, it seems that the Sage of Aru
had to go upstairs to prepare himself for the official services he was
supposed to hold as the great High Priest. He came down after a
little while dressed in a dark green robe made out of Irish silk, a
cheap affair, looking as if it was home-made, nothing gorgeous
about it, and he had a belt around his waist, with a sword sticking
in his scabbard; and he had on a little cap of some kind, and he came
down equipped for business. Then he turned his face toward the
east where the sun rises in the morning, took off his shoes, because
he Laid that the Lord of High would not allow any person to wear
shoes that was praying or going through the order, and he mumbled
something that I didn't understand; and finally he read a chapter
out of the Bible, I think it was out of the Psalms, if I mistake not.
And this is about all that was done. He gave some little talk, you
know, but I did not think there was anything very exhilarating
about that.
Q- Or anything very wrong at that time? A. No, indeed.
Q. You attended other meetings? A. I attended another meet
ing later on. After he had gone through the preliminaries, he said
he could not hold that meeting, because there were too many elemen-
tals in the room; that the room was just full of them; and he com-
menced slashing his sword around the room so as to kill the elemen-
tals. It occurred to me that the fellow must be crazy, and I said to
myself I did not want any more of that religion, if it was religion.
el^
fir
juij
23
iu I went to
But of course, out of regard for my wife and f»r those who were
present, I did not say anything — I restrained myself.
THE ELEMENTALS KILLED.
, because the
signs of the
i^as or what
It was prior
I my wife at
use he lived
it Sylvester
loward's so-
had already
u? A. I at-
le congrega-
ig you went
^age of Aru
ices he was
wn after a
Tish silk, a
gorgeous
)rd sticking
nd he came
toward the
es, because
on to wear
le mumbled
a chapter
stake not.
e talk, you
hilaratiug
|pd.
her meet
es, he said
ny elemen-
id he com-
he elemen-
I said to
s religion.
Q. Did tlie meeting go on? A. llie meeting went on after the
elementals had been killed; I suppose they were lying all over the
floor, but I didn't see any of them.
Q. After the elementals were killed, he went on with the meeting
just as before? A. Yes, sir.
Q. Did you have any talk to your wife about the absurdity of all
this proceeding at that time? A. After I had seen the absurdity of
all this business and the way it was carried on by this man, instead
;,of using the money I had donated for charitable and religious pur-
"^ poses, I found that the fellow was squLudering it, and when I asked
him where he had put the money, he said it was none of my business;
that he was the head of that order, and he could do whatever he
had a mind to, and nobody had any right to ask questions. I said,
"You are not putting it where you agreed to put it; I don't see any
improvements; I don't see any charity work going on here; I don't
see any educational institution started." He said that under the
rules of their order he had spent the money properly.
Q. Had you any talk with your wife about the absurdity of all
this proceeding? A. I had. I said to her, "Now, by the way, of
course you know I want you to have all the indulgence possible, but
I am satisfied in my own mind that the man is a fraud." And then
I gave her the reasons why he was a fraud, went over his existence
during the time he had been there up to the time that I was attend-
ing the meetings, and in a reasonable way I convinced my wife that
this fellow was a fakir; that he was a fraud. She immediately wrote
a letter resigning, and told him that she was satisfied in her own
mind that she had been deceived, and that his order was not what
he represented it to be; at any rate, that it was a one-man power,
and from that day on she did not want anything more to do with it.
Q. Did she get a letter from him? A. Her letter was sent down
to him by a messenger. A day or two after that I had business in
Washington, and during my absence he wrote her this letter.
Q. Did you see the original of this letter? A. Yes, sir.
Q. What was the effect of this letter upon your wife? A. Of
course I did not know at the time that that letter had been sert to
Mrs. Specht, because I anticipated her giving up this business ac-
cording to the letter she had written.
Q. You thought she had given it up forever? A. Entirely, yes.
I found, however, that instead of having given it up, she still went
down there, and I forbade her to go; nevertheless she did go. If she
did not go when I was there, she went when I was away.
Q. Then it was subsequently you found that she had received this
letter? A. Yes, sir.
24
Q. And the effect of that upon her was, as you say, that she
went back upon her promise to you? A. Exactly.
Q. And resumed her relations with the order? A. Yes, sir.
THE EFFECT ON MRS. SPECHT.
Q. What was the effect of all this upon your wife's mind and upon
her conduct? A. Well, it seems to me that after she had interested
herself in this myLterious, so-called organization, she ceased to take
the interest in her family that she had formerly done; that she
ceased to look after the welfare of the household; had no interests
in the affairs of the servants, or in her little girl, Adelaide, about
thirteen or fourteen years old. She seemed to take it in her head
that she had to take the Psalms of David and set them to music,
and she spent a great deal of time in the music-room, at the
piano, tearing up the old family Bible and trying to set the Psalms
of David to music for the order. Then she spent a great deal of time
in meditation and prayer. She seemed to be really earnest in doing
what she thought was proper service, so much so that I got to be a
sort of secondary consideration in the household, and seemed to
be a burden to her rather than a comfort.
Q. Did her conduct give you any reason to suppose that her mind
was affected — I mean that she was mentally deranged? A. She
seemed to be a woman that was sane on everything else except
religion; on any other point she seemed to be just as sane as any
person. But when you touched her upon the point of religion, she
was so engrossed in it that she lost sight of everything else.
Q. When you say religion, do you have reference to religion gen-
erally, or to the religion of this order? A. To this order.
Q. During* the year 1893 and up to the year 1894, what effect
had it upon your wife? Was she becoming more and more en-
grossed in this matter? A. Well, in 1893 and 1894, 1 was very much
worried about Mrs. Specht. I saw that the matter so engrossed her
that she had lost sight of pleasure and comfort in everything, in-
cluding her family, her boys and myself, her household duties, and
everything else. The matter went on and it seemed that Mrs.
Specht had lost all her interest in her family affairs, as I say. She
continued going down to this place, notwithstanding I had forbid-
den her to go, and finally she told me one night: "Now, Joseph,
you don't know what good friends these people are to you." She
said the doctor had tcld her that I was moving very rapidly toward
insanity, and that it would be the duty of his order to take care
of me and my affairs, and that he, Howard, would act as my guard-
ian. Well, of course, I didn't know whether I was going crazy or
not, but I didn't feel like it, you know. So I just told her that I
was going to see about this business. I was very much worried,
because she seemed to get worse right along, and finally I said,
"I am going to investigate this matter." He represented himself
to be a man that was descended from a noble family of England,
M
■^
f^
CI
al
26
, that she
sir.
1 and upon
interested
led to take
; that she
0 interests
ide, about
1 her head
to music,
m, at the
he Psalms
sal of time
it in doing
;ot to be a
seemed to
: her mind
? A. She
se except
ne as any
igion, she
igion gen-
lat effect
more en-
[ery much
lossed her
:hing, in-
ities, and
|hat Mrs.
say. She
Id forbid-
Joseph,
1." She
toward
ike care
guard-
I crazy or
!r that I
[worried,
I said,
himself
Ingland,
■%
belonging to the Norfolk branch of the Howards. He represented
himself as having been a colonel of the Seventeenth Lancers in
f the British Army. He represented to me that he was the special
envoy of the Prince of Wales when the Prince came to this country
•t in 1861, or whenever it was.
■/I
THE CANADIAN PREMIER.
A. He said that he had possessions in Canada, through his
father — several millions of acres of land; that he had been in
Canada hobnobbing with the people there, the Prime Minister, and
so on. It occurred to me that a man that was so prominent in all
parts of England and Canada, I should have no trouble to find out
all about.
Q. Did he say anything about having an estate in England?
A. He said they had a baronial estate, and he was a baron by
descent, but that while he was an heir to this baronial estate he
went to India, entered the Brahmin-Indian business, and gave up
his heirship to his younger brother.
Q. Did he at that time say anything about his being the head of
the order in India? A. Well, he said this: That he had been sent
here from India by the council ; that he was at the h^ad and front
of everything in this country; that he had been ordered to open a
branch of the Occidental Brahmin Indian Philosophy near the
capital of this nation; that he laid the foundation stone down
there at Gunston, and it would remain there until the world came
to an end.
Q. Did he then mention to you that he was entitled to the desig-
nation of Sage of Aru? A. Oh, yes; and he said he was the Prince
of Praagaya. He said that on his mother's side — his mother being
an Indian woman of the East, and one of the nobility there, or
whatever you call it — he had acquired position in the order; that
she was a princess.
Q. So that his mother was a princess of India, and his father
was a nobleman? A. His father was a baron, one of the original
thirty barons of England.
Q. What did he say with reference to the new dispensation he
was going to inaugurate? That is, he was to be the next spirit
incarnate, and who was to be the leader of the new dispensation?
Do you remember him telling you anything about that? A. He
said he was to be the emissary that had been out here for the pup-
pose of bringing about the new dispensation. This daughter of
mine in St. Louis was about to become a mother, and he told her
that her child, when born, was to be the Christ. If it had turned
out to be a girl, he would have been in a bad fix, but it did turn out
to be a boy.
Q. These are the things he told you when you had this talk with
him? A. Yes, sir.
'•iS
26
I '1' '
Q. You advised with Mr. Carlisle, and upon his advice you went
and saw Howard, the plaintiff? A. Upon his advice, I saw How-
ard, the plaintiff, in the presence of my son Joseph A. I went into
the little cottage he had — the temple so-called — and he was in the
temple, and when I got into the temple his wife very shortly came
in; my son was there with me, and he sat on the sofa. I says,
"Doctor, I am here to get information; I have made up my mind
that since you have signified the necessity of your being my guard-
ian, and have also stated to my wife that I am going insane, 1
had better come down here, and find out who you are before I am
too far gone. Now,. I want you to give me your credentials, and
give me your references; if you can't give me those I will adopt
measures to get t^9m otherwise; and if you are not the man you
represent yourself to be, I will have you in the penitentiary."
Howard turned pale; he sat on the sofa, put his thumbs in his
waistcoat like that (indicating), and he says: "I refuse to tell you
who I am, where I came from, or anything else.'' He says: 'I am
that I am." Then I said: "I will attend to you at once; I shall
go up town to-morrow, and shall institute proceedings to take care
of you."
DETAINED MRS. SPECHT.
m
m
M
11
!ii
I
ii,
The same day I packed my grip, and got ready the next morning
at boat time, and went to Washington. The Howards also went
up there. I saw Carlisle & Johnson, and those people arranged
to have Mrs. Specht come up there in order to convince her that
this man was a fraud from evidence they had gained. I supposed
at that time all I had to do was to go to Mrs. Specht, not thinking
that she was so engrossed in this thing that she was beyond recov-
ery. But she said she would not go.
Q. Sprague was a lawyer in Washington? A. Yes, sir; a man
that has since left because of his practice not being legitimate.
Next morning I saw my attorneys, and they advised me to retain
Mrs. Specht, not to allow her to go home. When I got down to
the hotel to see whether she had made up her mind to see my attor-
neys or not, she said no, she was going home, had her gripsack
packed to go back home to Gunston. I said, "No, you can't go."
So she went up to her attorney, but was detained until the boat
went away, and then I went over to see the attorneys. In the
■meantime they had told me not to let her out of the room, and I
supposed I had a perfect right to prevent my wife doing anything
that was wrong. Seeing that nothing could be done with Mrs,
Specht to save her, I had to resort to heroic measures to save hep.
Carlisle & Johnson advised me to get out a writ of non compos
mentis, and hurriedly they got out a writ, so as to cover the ground
quickly. I think this was on Saturday. When the document had
been filed in court, it was served on both Mrs. Specht and Sprague,
who proved to be the attorney for Mrs. Specht — she had engaged
you went
saw How-
went into
^as in the
rtly oame
. I says,
my mind
uy guard-
insane, 1
fore I am
tials, and
^ill adopt
man you
tentiary."
bs in his
) tell you
s: -'I am
r, I shall
take care
27
him, as it were, on the advice of this Howard — and in the instru-
ment, of course, Howard was mentioned as an impostor, and every-
thing of that kind.
Q. You saw the document? A. Yes; and I think you'll find that
document on file in the court here now. It seems that Sprague,
when he was served with this document, imediately rushed down
to the St. James Hotel.
morning
^Iso went
arranged
her that
supposed
thinking
id recov-
; a man
itimate.
0 retain
down to
ly attor-
ripsack
n't go."
he boat
In the
, and I
oything
h Mrs.
.ve hep.
|compo8
ground
nt had
rague,
gaged
4
if;
M
CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS AGAINST THE
PLAINTIFF IN VIRGINIA.
The Sage of Am Had Plenty of Cause to Flee the Country.
MORE ABOUT THE BRAHMININDIAN PHILOSOPHY AND ITS
HIGH PRIEST.
(Contiuued from Yesterday.)
Special to the Star.
Perth, Ont., April 28. — The great libel case of Howard ts.
Graham continues to be the talk of the town. The comfortable
court room was crowded at the sittings with people highly intCT-
ested in the case.
The continuation of the reading of the evidence taken by the
commission in the United States was followed with the closest
interest. Mr. Osier, Q. C, read the questions as they had been put
by Mr. Hogg, Q. C, who represented the plaintiffs at the sittings of
the commission in Washington and Virginia, and Mr. Hogg him-
self read the answers as they had been given by the witnesses.
The evidence of the commission was very voluminous, much of it
was not read to the jury because the defense knew their case was
strong enough without it, much was voluntarily not submitted by
the defense because it was of a hearsay character. Mr. Latchford,
for the plaintiff, objected to a number of questions because they
were leading questions.
His Lordship promptly ruled that no objections on those grounds
would be entertained. If the questions were objectionable they
should have been objected to before the commission, and the evi-
dence required would have been obtained by other questioning.
It was too late to object now.
As a matter of fact, the plaintiff had not been represented before
the commission. Notice had been given the plaintiffs of the date
and place of the sitting of the commission, and as provided in the
commission, they were given ample time to arrange to be repre-
sented. The plaintiff's local counsel gave the name of Mr. J. J.
Darlington, an eminent member of the Washington bar, as the
plaintiff's agent before the commission. When the date for the
sitting of the commission had been arranged, the commissioner, Mr.
Thornton, prepared the usual notification for the agent of the plain-
tiff and handed it to a representative of the Star to serve upon
28
29
THE
If
f;
juntry.
ND ITS
M
'ard vs.
Portable
y inter-
by the
closest
een put
ings of
..li*:
:g bim-
nesses.
h of it
■ ,>-«,■■
se was
ted by
^hford.
e they
%
'ounds
i they
le evi-
oning.
before
J date
n the
?epre-
J. J.
? tlie
[• the
,Mr.
)lain-
upon
Mr. Darlington, if he chose to accept service without the usual
formality.
Mr. Darlington said that he would willingly accept service, but
not as a commissioner. He had just received a letter from Canada
asking him to act as agent for a so-called Doctor Howard in a com-
mission in a libel case, but he had given nobody the right to name
him as their agent. He intended writing the party from whom
he had heard in Canada, and would send on the notification served
upon him with his positive refusal to act in the case in any capac-
ity. Mr. Darlington added that from what he had heard of How-
ard and his doings he was not the kind of man he should like to
represent in any capacity. Howard's Canadian lawyers were at
once notified by telegraph of Mr. Darlington's refusal to act. Mr.
Hogg had not then left himself for Washington, so that there was
ample time for the defendant to secure another representative, but
none appeared, though the plaintiff's Canadian counsel was kept
regularly informed of the witnesses it was intended to examine.
The plaintiffs professed to have little interest in the commission,
saving that no evidence of any value could be procured.
THE CHIEF WITNESSES.
It was thought by them that Mr. Joseph Specht and the Rev.
Joseph A. Specht, his son, the principal available witnesses for
the defense, would decline to testify from the affectionate regard
which still exists for the deluded wife and mother and from the
natural disinclination of refined people in high social, professional
and business positions to restore to public gaze the family skeleton,
relegated for some years to the retirement of the domestic cupboard.
At first tliere was some hesitation, a disinclination on the part of
these gentlemen to give evidence, but as soon as they saw that by
abstaining to testify they would be doing an injustice to the pub-
lisher of a reputable newspaper, and indirectly to the Canadian
community, they cheerfully accorded every assistance in their
power to those engaged in working up the case for the defense,
papers of the greatest family interest being placed at their disposal.
Mr. Joseph Specht lives in dignified but sadly solitary comfort in
his beautiful home at Gunston Hall, which, surrounded by well
tilled fields, fine orchards and beautiful and ample flower beds, is
situated on the summit of a high slope overlooking the broad sur-
face of the placid Potomac. The substantial and generously pro-
portioned stone mansion was built early in days when Virginia
was a loyal British colony, some of the timber, the sashes, etc.,
having been imported from the mother country. It is a typical
Southern "Colonial home place," with open portico over the main
entrance, great open fanlight over the door and with that air of
substantial comfort about it which characterizes every one of the
old historic homes of the Old Dominion.
30
'i'-
m
One is reminded of the English origin of the place by the hedges
of box wood, the ivy climbing about the old stone structures and
the fragrant violets. The Gunston violets smell as many people
imagine only English violetc can. There is a delightful air of
antiquity about the whole place. The present proprietor of the
place has expended many thousands of dollars in restoring and
beautifying the place, but with good taste, and a reverence for the
things interesting by reason of their antiquity, has been careful
in adding to Gunston Hall the modern comforts of an up-to-date
home, to avoid the least interference with the original architec-
tural style of the historic mansion. The place looks about as it
must have done when the brainy author of the Virginia Bill of
Rights, Colonel George Mason, entertained his friend and neigh-
bor, George Washington, and exchanged jokes and sampled the
contents of the cool cellars with Thomas Jefferson and General
Lafayette. And the arrangement of the interior has been inter-
fered with as little as possible, and the Washington room, which
was always kept at the disposal of Mason's famous neighbor, the
Jefferson room and the Lafayette room are pointed out to the vis-
itor and allotted among his guests by the hospitable master of
Gunston Hall with evident pride. Mr. Joseph Specht is the hos-
pitable host par excellence, well maintaining the high reputation
of the people of Virginia for hospitality. He will not let his col-
ored servants show the guests under his roof to their respective
rooms, but graciously takes the duty upon himself after the brief
family service unostentatiously conducted by himself in the hall is
over and the evening glass of sparkling home-made cider enjoyed.
This tall, strong, handsome, genial old gentleman appears to have
quite forgotten in his affection for Gunston the active, bustling life
of his twenty years of a business career in the "hustling" city of St.
Lonis, and lives here in graceful repose the patriarchal existence
of the English country squire. The evidence produced at the trial,
no less than the very apparent affection of the whole neighborhood,
shows that he takes a great personal interest in the welfare of his
less fortunate neighbors. One is not surprised to learn that he is a
restryman in tie local Episcopal church. So he lives, often run-
ning up to Washington to visit the delightful home of his clever
and peculiarly frank and manly son, the Rev. Joseph A. Specht,
but devoting most of his time to improving the Gunston Hall estates
and doing good generally, in his own unassuming way, in the
neigbborliood. There appears to be but one thing to keep him from
the enjoyment of complete happiness. His efforts to secure a hand-
some competence have succeeded almost beyond human expecta-
tions, he has a residence a prince might envy, a reputation among
his neighbors and business acquaintances such as very few enjoy
or deserve to. But she who had been the companion of his life for
over twenty-nine years, the mother of his children, had left him on
the very threshold of the autumn of life, and has come to reside in a
?v.
81
the hedges
ctures and
mj people
ful air of
tor of the
oring and
ice for the
?n careful
ap-to-date
! architeo-
bout as it
ia Bill of
nd neigh-
npled the
i General
een inter-
»m, whioh
jlibor, the
o the vis-
master of
J the bos-
eputation
!t his col-
[•espective
the brief
he hall is
enjoyed,
to have
tling life
ty of St.
existence
the trial,
Dorliood,
e of his
t he is a
(^n run-
s clever
Specht,
estates
in the
im from
a hand-
jxpecta-
among
enjoy
life for
him on
ide in a
V
small town in Ontario, leaving Gunston Hall without a mistress.
Here truly is a pathetic proof of the fact that riches do not always
bring happiness.
MORE OF THE EVIDENCE.
The reading of the evidence of Mr. Joseph Specht taken by the
commission in the city of Washington was continued, as follows:
Q. You ascertained that Howard left the hotel? A. That he
had left the hotel; we did not know that he had gone out of the
city. Having left Gunston in so big a hurry, I thought in all prob-
ability he would take the early morning boat on Sunday lo go to
Gunston to get some of his things. I knew that he was liable to skip
out. So 1 took the early four o'clock train in the morning to
Alexandria, and got the mayor of the city to go to the Police
Department and issue a warrant for this man Howard.
Q. What day was that? A. That was on Sunday morning, the
13th of May. A boat left Washington at seven o'clock in the
morning and landed at Alexandria, about half an hour afterward.
I had with me a lawyer of Alexandria by the name of Johnson; I
think that is the Johnson that was recommended to act for the
other side. He went with me and drew the warrant. I don't know
whether he wrote it or not.
Q. He attended to the matter for you as your attorney? A.
Yes, sir. We found that the fellow Howard was not on board.
WARRANTS FOR HOWARD.
Q. I understand you to say that early on the morning of the inth
of May you had a warrant issued at Alexandria for the purpose of
intercepting Howard on his way down the river? A. Yes, sir;
while he was on the boat.
Q. This warrant was put in the hands of proper constables? A.
Yes, sir.
Q. And he was not found? A. He was not on the boat.
Q. What did you do then? A. The following day, Monday, I
went to Fairfax Court House and made complaint there and swore
out a warrant.
Q. Who attended to the matter for you there? A. Mr. J. M.
Love, who was at that time Commonwealth's Attorney, drew up
the papers, and Mr. Moore, my attorney over there, also attended to
getting out the papers. That warrant was issued by Mr. John R.
Taylor, under his hand and seal as justice of the peace; that is, I
judge so from the papers; I did not know the gentleman's name.
Of course, it went through the regular routine of legal proceedings,
I suppose.
Q. Who was that warrant issued for?
(Objected to, but objection overruled.)
32
A. The warraut was issued so that we could arrest Howard in the
State of Virginia. Upon that warrant Mr. Love applied for a
requisition from the Governor of Virginia, so that we could get
Howard in New York State.
Q. A re(iuisition upon the Governor of New York from the Gov-
ernor of Virginia? A. Yes, sir. We found through our detec-
tive that the man had located in New York. We found out,
through letters that had come from him, that he was in New York
city. Then we had this reciuisition issued by the Governor of Vir-
ginia, and \nit into the hands of a detective, who went over to New
York to capture the enemy, as it were.
Q. Do you know why he ran away? A. Well, it seems to me
that I gave him plenty of reason to run away. I told him I would
put him in the penitentiary.
Q. So far as you judge, did he know or suspect that you were
about to issue a warrant against him? A. 1 don't think ihat he
::a8pected anything until this non compos mentis document was
issued, and then he saw that he was included in that as an impostor
and the cause of all the trouble.
Q. He was therein stated as the cause of the trouble, so far as your
wife's condition of mind and her relationship with you were con-
cerned? A. Exactlv.
Q. After this process in the lunacy proceeding was issued, why
did you issue these warrants then? A. Because the man was a
thief and an impostor, and I wanted to bring him to justice.
Q. What efforts did you make to actually capture him? I have
partially told you. Before we went to New York I sent two detec-
tives, I think two, but I will not be positive whether one or two; I
think the name of one of the detectives was Tomlinson, the one
was sent to Richmond, Va., to look through the suburbs and coun-
try places for a family by the name of Burnham.
Q. You apparently used all proper efforts, did you, to enable you
to arrest them?
■'S^
11
11
el
tf
EXTRADITION PROCEEDINGS BEGUN.
;';!^
A. We made up our minds to get out extradition papers to
Canada to bring him back.
Q. Whom did you advise with as to that? A. I advised with
Carlisle & Johnson and with Mr. Moore. We first thought we
would have the papers drawn up by the district authorities here.
But finally they had a consultation, and they concluded that inas-
much as Mrs. Specht was so persistent in adhering to her course,
that she could not be saved; we had better let the fellow remain
where he was; it was thought that in the event of bringing him
back, while he might get three or four years in the penitentiary,
yet three or four years would go by very quickly, and then he would
be footloose and ready to commit other depredations, whereas by
lii
►ward in th<*
plied for a
L' ei)uld {^('t
•m the Gov-
our detec-
found out,
I New York
'iioi- of \'ir
ver to New
'ems to me
im I would
t you were
Ilk tliat he
ument was
in impostor
far as your
I were con-
ssued, why
nan was a
ice.
a? I have
two detec-
or two; I
n, the one
and coun-
mable you
papers to
ised with
)ught we
Ities here,
that inas-
?r course,
remain
nng him
itentiary,
Ihe would
lereas by
33
leaving him in Canada, he was out of the country and could do no
harm.
Q. So that the extradition proceedings, then, were stopped on that
account? A. Yes, sir.
Q. Hut as a nuitter of fact, extradition proceedings were actually
commenced? A. The attorneys were preparing to get out extra-
dition papers, but after consultation they advised as I have stated.
(Objected to.)
Q. r'oliowing up Mrs. Specht for a moment: Howard left Wash-
ington on the night of the 12th of May or on the morning of the
13th of May? A. Some time in that period.
Q. And you subsequently heard he was in Montreal? A. I
employed a great deal of detective talent, such as it was, to ascer-
tain where he was; I was very anxious to find out where the fellow
was. His wife was still here, and I had his wife shadowed to try
to find out where she was sending her communications, and we
found that he was located in Montreal, on some street, the name
of which I forget, under the name of Wilson. I forget the first
name.
Q. What became of the property, the house and furniture and
things of that kind, tliat he left there? Did he send anybody to
look after it? He did not come himself, of course? A. Such prop-
erty as he had at Gunston was, as the court records at Fairfax
Court House will show, assigned to this man Sprague, and he had
control of all that property; he lived there for a time and they
moved the property from time to time; I don't know what became
. of it; I did not keep track of it.
Q. You had nothing to do with it? A. No, sir; I had nothing to
do WMth it. Sprague had charge of it.
Q. You did not take possession of it at all? A. No, sir. But after
HoAvard had skipped I went down and saw his wife specially, and
told her I would give her twenty-four hours to leave that place;
that if she did not leave within twenty-four hours 1 would have
ber put in the county gaol, because I consideret' her an accomplice.
She was an impostor. I knew she was not his wife, and I told her
she would have to go or else I would put her in gaol. She left in a
big hurry.
Q. That brings us to May 12, 1894. What became of Mrs. Specht
after the 12th of May, 1894? A. Well, Mrs. Specht had this non
compos mentis action brought against her and that matter was
tried, I think, before Judge Cox. Having made an investigation
of her attorney — this man Sprague — I found that he was a man of
bad repute, and was not a safe man to be allowed to look after my
wife's affairs. I suggested to my attorneys that they have the court
appoint an additional attorney for my wife, a good attorney, a man
of fine repute in this city, to take care of her interests in the matter,
and the judge, by the consent of Sprague, appointed Judge Wilson
as an additional attorney. Then I felt perfectly safe, and I think
subsequently Mr. Thornton was also engaged to represent her, and
m
34
between these two reputable attorneyH and that scoundrel the mat-
ter was adjusted in some way, and she came down and lived at
(lUiislon aj^ain. The jud;;e told her that she must behave herself;
that if she did she would not have any trouble, \ believe, and she
aj,'reed to come back under certain conditions. 1 was to give her
some little allov.ance, wliich was agreed upon, and slie came back
and stayed there a while. In the meantime she went out to St.
Louis. Tiiis daughter of mine was about to be contined, and my
wife asl<('d if 1 would not allow her to go out and take care of our
daughter during her confinement. I said, certainly, and she went
out to look after this child, taking her younger daughter with her.
I forgot to state, though, that this married daughter I am referring
to was alTected similai-ly with her mother; she also believed in this
fake religion. Uut under tlie circumstances, for humanity's sake,
I could not keej) uiy wife from going on an occasion of that kind.
While T disliked her to go, it seemed to me that it would be no more
than right that she should; that I would take all the chances, and
she went. After the baby had been born and was old enough to
travel, our daughter, Mrs. Morey, came on with tl:e baby to Gunston,
and they seemed to get along very nicely. One evening I sat in
my room in a rocking-chair smoking a cigar, Mrs. Specht talking
about her religious affairs, and I told her that there was no occasion
for anything of that kind; that this nmtter had been settled.
(Objected to, but objection overruled.)
She said: "Yes, there is; because you have robbed me of my
religion and my master'' — having reference to Howard, T suppose.
And she says, "I am living a life of prostitution with you, and I
have been your concubine for 29 years."
PARTING OF THE WAYS.
I then told her that I thought the parting of the ways had come;
that she should never occupy my bed again as long as she lived, and I
ordered her to go into another bedroom. Then she stayed there for
some little while longer. I felt sorry, thinking that tlie poor woman
was not responsible, and the next day T apologized to her, thinking
that I had no business to talk to a person in a manner I had talked
to her, because she really was not responsible; that she had been
hypnotized or something had been done to her to make her irrespon-
sible; and it occurred to me that the best thing that I could do
was to get a diversion for her. No, T think I am going a little too
fast. These are all facts I am telling you, but there is another fact
coming before that that I omitted. Yes, before Mrs. Specht ran
away she went to St. Louis. I used to be in the city of Washing-
ton a good deal, and one time when I returned home she had packed
her trunk and left by the early morning train, and I found she was
in St. Louis. She had made up her mind that she could not live with
me, I suppose, on account of what had happened.
Q. Did she go alone? A. She went with this little daughter.
3S
'1 the mat-
tl lived at
f^ herself;
e, and she
) };ive her
a me back
out to St.
1, and my
are of our
she went
with her.
I referring
'ed in tiiis
itj's sake,
that kind.
le no more
mces, and
enough to
> Gnnston,
; I sat Id
it talking
[) occasion
3d.
ne of my
suppose.
ou. and T
Slie was out there for quite a while; leinained (here, as I said, long
enough to liave this conflncnicnl take place. After the continement
. she came home. Thinking a change of dinuite would do her good,
I Bent her up to the mountains with my married daughter, who
was down then; at (Junston, and accomjtanied by our youngest
daughter. She remained in the mountains during the summer, and
when the season of August came I said to her, "The best thing you
can do is to go to Atlantic City and (Inish the season at th< sea-
shore." I thought that by having iicr there, where slu? would see
a great many people in society and where there was a good deal
of excitement, this nuitter would work oil". She went to Atlantic
.City and remained there until the season was over and it was time
to come back for the young lady to go to school. When she returned
Bhe stopped at the National iJotel in Washington, and I came up
,;to s^'<^ ^*-'^'* ^I't? said before going home she would like to locate
• in Washington for the winter, occupy flats here, so that we could
live here during the unpleasant season of the year, and live in the
country during the pleasant seas<»n of the year. I advertised for
flats, and received a large i)ackage of applications, and wiicn I
presented those answers to her she looked at two or three of them,
and deliberately tiirew the balance of them on the floor, saying
she thought they did not amount to anything; that they were a lot
of trash. I got a telegram from St. Louis in consequence of which
I was obliged to go out there on some very important business. I
was gone for a week or ten days. I told her before going that she
could remain at the hotel until I came back, or else she could go to
Gunston and stay there until I returned.
SHE RAN AWAY.
ad come;
red, and I
there for
r woman
thinking
id talked
lad been
irrespon-
could do
ittle too
her fact
cht ran
Vashing-
packed
she was
ive with
lughter.
When I returned she was not at the hotel; she had left a note
saying that she had moved to the house of an employee in one of
those Government departments; that she had a room there and
wanted to live there. In other words, she ran away from me. Right
after the child was born — what I am saying now came in between —
she got employment in a dry goods store in St. Louis. She had run
away again from me and would not come back for reasocs of her
own. Of course I provided her with necessary funds, through my
' son-in-law, who is out there, fearing that the money I might send
to her she would send to this fakir in Canada. She seemed to think
I had forsaken her entirely and hired out to go into a shop. There
she was, a woman that stood high in society, entertained largely,
I just as well known in St. Louis, Mo., as President Cleveland is here
> in Washington, and to bring this disgrace upon the family; I
'thought I would make any sacrifice to try to bring her around.
I went out and arranged that she was to get a certain amount of
,) money per month, which she could use as she had a mind to. I
&then told her the best thing we could do was to make a trip to Ber-
muda, and we made a trip to Bermuda. I gave her all the comforts
■iM^
'^1
If
Ml]
36
I
that it was possible for a person to have under such circumstances,
thinking that a diversion and a change of climate would do her
good. But we had been over there only a very short time when she
commenced to cry and get hysterics, saying that I robbed her of
her religion jmd her lord and master. So it was the same old story.
Finally, when she left the National Hotel the last time, she went
to the house, as I said, of an employee of one of the Government de-
partments, and there she got typhoid fever. I was notified th^it she
had been taken sick with typhoid fever. I immediately packed
my things and came up and told her I was ready to stand by her
and take care of her in the best way possible. I engaged a profes-
sional nurse at |25 a wecl:, and physicians of the best talent to be
had in the city, thinking that after a severe spell of sickness of that
kind she might come to her senses. But after she had got con-
valescent, I found she was as badly inclined as before; that she still
hankered for Howard and his religious fake business. When she
was strong enough she and I had a meeting, and I told her I had
made up my mind that she would have to choose between me and
Howard; that I could not stand this kind of business any longer;
that if a woman ran away from her liusband three or four times
and brought suits for divorce and such things, incurring expenses
in hiring attorneys, I got tired of it, and put it in thrt way; that
she would have to take her choice, and I gave her so many days to
do it; and she selected Howard.
DEED OF SEPARATION.
Q. And then did you have a deed of separation drawn up, or was
there an agreement of some kind made? A. We had a deed of sep-
aration drawn up. She got her attorney and I got mine.
Q. And then you provided her with |15() a month? A. Yes, sir.
Q. Which you are still paying her? A. Yes, sir; promptly every
month.
Q. Having it sent to her at Carleton Place, in Ontario, Canada?
A. The Washington Lojni and Trust Company is the trustee, and
they send her every month a check or draft for $ir)0 to Carleton
Place. Those drafts I have examined, after being cancelled, and
they are all indorsed by G. S. Howard, and so I judge that he is get-
ting the best part of it.
Q. Had Mrs. Specht given her diar.onds to those people? (How-
ard and wif'\) A. Unbeknown to me she had given her diamonds
to Howard — her diamond brooch and ear-rlngS, worth from $1,200
to 11,300.
Q. At all events, Mrs. Specht gave the brooch and the ear-rings
to Howard? A. Yes, so she says — without consulting me.
Q. And subsequently you discovered that they liad been pawned?
A. She told me so when they came back.
Q. Wlio told you? A. Mrs. Specht told me she had given them
to those people, and Howard admitted to me that he had pawned
them in New Y^ork for $500.
I
•I
mmstances,
uld do her
e when she
►bed her of
e old story.
i, she weut
Tnment de-
ed th{\f she
ely packed
and by her
(d a profes-
alent to be
less of that
d got con-
at she still
When she
her I had
en me and
ny longer;
four times
g expenses
way; that
ny days to
up, or was
ed of sep-
. Yes, sir.
ptly every
Canada?
istee, and
Carleton
^lled, and
he is get-
? (How-
diamonds
)m $1,200
ear-rings
pawned?
ven them
pawned
37
Q. About March 8, 1894, he admitted to you that he had pawned
them in New York? A. Yes, sir.
Q. Did he say how much he had got? A. Five hundred dollars.
Q. Did he say with whom he had pawned them? A. No, he did
not.
Q. But you discovered afterward that they were pawned with
R. Simpson & Co., of 195 Bowery, New York? • A. Yes, sir.
Q. x\nd you got the actual pawn ticket? A. I got the actual
notice and the envelope that it came in. Subsequent to this Mrs.
Specht, being a woman of society in St. Louis, and having a very
elegant wardrobe, dresses and lots of things woriu many hundred
dollars, she deliberately packed up all her things that were beauti-
ful and sent them to Washington city, to Sloan's auction-rooms,
and had them sold, and turned the proceeds over to this fakir, so
that it left her without nothing except ordinary things; everything
that was fine and desirable, and that a wom.an loves and appreciates,
she disposed of, and gave the proceeds to Howard, who took them,
of course.
Q. How did you happen to get this notice? A. That notice was
found in this house, when it was cleaned up, after they had moved
out.
Q. Was it in this envelope. A. Yes, sir; in that envelope.
(Said envelope and notice are filed,.marked Exhibit No. 10.)
Q. That corroborates just wiiat Howard told you himself? A. Yes,
sir.
ANOTHER LIBEL ACTION.
Q. In the year 1897, Howard brought an action against you in
Ontario for alleged libel? A. Y'ns. sir.
Q. And according to the recoius e obtained a judgment against
you for $10,000? A. So 1 am told.
Q. That judgment was obtained by default; that is, you made
no appearance in court and put in no answer? A. No, sir.
Q. Why did you take that course? A. The man might just as
well have sued me in Africa as to sue me in Canada.
Q. You were served with a writ or notice? A. Yes, sir; and I
referred the matter to my attorney, who thought it over very care-
fully, and he advised lue not to notice the suit at all, because How-
ard could get no execution that would affect me here. And besides,
Howard knew just as well as I did that the case would not amount
to anything so far as execution was concerLed. He simply brought
it so as to keep me out of Canada, because he thought I might
prosecute him there and bring him to justice.
Q. Acting upon the advice f your attorney here you abstained
from tnking any notice of thai action? A. Yes, sli.
Q. Who was it advised you? A. Mr. R. Walton Moo , a regular
attorney in Fairfax County, Va.
Q. Anyone else? A, No, pir.
38
Q. You did not consult Carlisle & Johnson? A. N( sir.
Q. And yoa followed Mr. Moore's advice? A. Yes, sir.
Q. You mentioned a ladv br the name of Mrs. L. G. W. Allen; she
proiessed to follow Howard; is that what I understand? A. She
was also one of his victims. She believes in Howard, so much so
that she ran away from her husband in order to join Howard. Her
husband objected to her having anything to do with Howard and
his gang, as he called them, but she ran away from her husband and
came to where Howard lived, down near Gunston, and said to him
that she had left her husband; that she wanted to live with him;
wanted to be his wife — now my wife told me that — and he said
i;5;
UlrN. Howard, ^tket<'li«4l iii the I'oiirtr Kooin.
that he already had a wife; but slie said, "Under your order you
can take just as many wives as you want." Afterward Allen came
down and took her back, and she now lives in New York,
Q. Does she not live with her husband? A. Yes, sir; with her
husband in New York.
Q. When you say that Mrs. Allen was one of his victims, you mean
it in a sense of running away from her husband and following How-
ard? A. It was in the sense tliat she contributed all the money she
had to Howard, and all that she could borrow.
Q. How do you know that fact? A. Because Mrs. Allen herself
told me that she had borrowed money.
3U
r.
. Allen ; she
i? A. She
30 much so
ward. Her
toward and
isband and
jaid to him
with him;
nd he said
Ji'der you
leu came
with her
you mean
ing How-
oney she
Q. At all events, you understand that she contributed money to
him? A. Yes, sir.
Q. Referring to the influence that Howard seemed to have over
your wife and those other persons, such as Price, Nidelet, and Mrs.
Allen, tliere may be a great many others you do not know about;
you know of those, at all events? A. Yes, sir. I know of those, but
1 have never heard of others, and have no reason to think there
were others.
HAS HYPNOTIC POWER.
Q. To what do you attribute that power of his over persons he
comes in contact with, tending to ruin their lives?
(Objected to, but objection overruled.)
A. I have had the opportunity of being with How:ird myself more
or less, and 1 must say that there is something about that fellow that
has a sort of influence over a person. I know that he had some in-
fluence over me. He had a strong will power, but I made up my
mind to fight him off. From my observation, I had no doubt that
that man has what is termed hypnotic power — that is, he can hyp-
notize people.
Q. Sway them according to his desire? A. Yes, sir; because had
1 given away myself, had I not conquered myself, I know that I
would have been carried away by it. He is a man that has some-
thing, I don't know what it is.
Q. To sum up: The result of his introduction to you and your
wife at Uuuston was that Howard obtained $5,000 in cash from you
and obtained these jewels from your wife. What else did he obtain
from Mrs. Specht besides the |5,000 and the jewels? A. He ob-
tained much of the money that I gave her to expend on her own per-
son and on the person of her daughter. She had an allowance of
|25 a month ; that I gave Mrs. Specht, and that she gave to Howard.
Tlien he got |300 from me in St. Louis and he got several hundred
dollars at different times afterward. The total amount of money
he obtained would probably aggregate between |8,000 and |10,000.
Q. Altogether he got between |8,000 and |10,000 from you and
your wife? A. Yes, sir.
Q. The reason then why you sojght to arrest him was that he
was obtaining this money, how? A. The man represented himself
to be a religious man, a man that was going to open a charitable
institution to help tite sick and poor, and to treat them without
charge, and do good to mankind in general. All that he failed to
do. He failed to spend or use the money for any purpose that he got
it for.
Q. Would you have advanc(*d any money to him had you known
what he was going to do with it, as a matter of fact? A. Not one
dollar.
n herself
V*f
40
Q. Were you induced to advance this money by the representa-
tions he made?
(Objected to, but objection overruled.)
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Then the money was advanced to him through your wife, some
of it, and some of it directly by yourself? A. To settle that part of
it, my wife had no mc.-iey of her own.
Q. Some of it was given by her; she was the medium of it getting
into his hands? A. Yes; but she had no money.
Q. It was then given to him in consequence of the representations
which he made, and these representations induced you to give the
money? A. Yes, sir.
Q. Did you find these representations of his to be entirely untrue?
A. Entirely untrue.
Q. And it was in consequence, then, o^' the misrepresentations
that he made to you tliat you applied for and got out that warrant?
(Objected to, but objection overruled.)
A. Decidedly.
Q. Stating only the $5,000 and the jewels; you did not mention
the other amounts at that time? A. I thought that was suflQcient
to bring him to justice, and the balance would have been brought
out when his trial came off.
S
'Cu
>.\
m
{3^^*^mh9»''.
ii^
epreseuta-
wife, some
lat part of
it getting
sentationa
) give the
y untrue?
sentationa
warrant?
t mention
suflBcient
brought
SIPERHIMAN POWERS
Sways People According to His Desire.
LETTERS TRANSMITTED WITHOUT HUMAN AGENCIES.
Claimed Unlimited Wealtii— But it was against tFie Rules of
the Order to give any Money out of tine Treasury— Each
Country must put up the Cash for Itself.
Tuesday, March 22, 1898.
Met pursuant to adjournment in parlor 19, Metropolitan Hotel,
Washington, D. C.
Mr. Hogg, representing the defendants, being present, no repre-
sentative appearing for the plaintiff.
At the suggestion of defendants' counsel, and by consent of the
commissioner, the further taking of evidence to-day is transferred
jto 344 D street, at the oflSce of Aaron Johns, in said Washington,
notice having been left at the Metropolitan Hotel office for any per-
son inquiring with reference to the same.
Joseph Specht resumed the witness stand, and his testimony was
ontinued as follows:
By Mr. Hogg:
Q. Mr. Specht, with reference to the $5,000 which you mentioned
esterday as having been paid over to the plaintiff in the month of
August, 1891, I understand that the request for $5,000 came from
^our wife? A. Yes, sir.
Q. She desired to give Howard $5,000? A. Yes, sir.
Q. And upon her request you paid ^he $5,000 for her, and on her
ehalf? A. Yes, sir.
'0 Q. Then as far as you yourself were concerned, I suppose you
?||would not have paid that $5,000 personally? A. Well. I, of course,
ft)eing in communication with Howard, and he setting forth the ob-
l^ect and purpose he had in view, which has been stated heretofore,
"^elt that perhaps, to gratify Mrs. S])echt, it would be a good thing
^or humanity and everything of that kind, and that T would give it,
because Mrs. Specht was inclined to be charitable and pay out
omoney for s^ich institutions.
- Q. Is it a fact that it was a gift by you to her for that purpose?
|A. Well, T don't know how to put that exactly. Of course, I paid
4 1
I
(■ hi
ii: 'III
42
the money over to this inaii Howard, ai:i1 aid it because Mrs. Specht
requested me to do so; and of course, before paying it, I bore in
mind the purpose that the money was to be used for, and for that
reason I paid it to the man.
Q. To further illustrate the influence that plaintiff had over yom
wife was there a will made by her at any time in his favor?
A. Theio was a will made by Mrs. Specht while she was in the cit}
of St. Louis with her married daughter in the early part of 1894, I
think.
Q. It was a will of certain property? A. Yes, sir; the GunstoL
Hall property and the Ben Venue property.
Q. She devised the Gunston Hall property to him? A. By this
will, yes.
Q. Who -vas appointed guardian? A. Howard was appointed
guardian and trustee of my youngest daughter, to whom my wife
bequeathed the Ben Venue property; the Ben Venue was be-
queathed to that youngest daughter.
Q. Then she ignored the other three children? A. Yes, sir; it ajt
peared that the eldest daughter had signed the will as a witness.
And further this deponent saith not.
MR. SPECHT, JR.
Joseph A. Specht, a witness called on behalf of the defendant d,
having been duly sworn, testified as follows:
By Mr. Hogg:
Q. Where do you reside, Mr. Specht? A. In Washington, D. U.
Q. What is your avocation in life? A. Clergyman in the Episco
pal Church.
Q. Lately called to holy orders? A. Yes, sir.
Q. How long since? A. Three months ago.
Q. Where did you pursue your studies for the ministry? A. Ai
the Theological Seminary, in Virginia.
Q. For how long? A. A little over three years, and then a year'
in Washington.
Q. That was about four years ago? A. Yes, sir.
Q. You are a son of the preceding witness, Mr. Joseph Specht?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. The eldest son. A. Yes, sir.
Q. You have lived with your father and mother most of your
life, I suppose? A. Yes, sir.
Q. At St. Louis first? A. At St. Louis first; yes.
Q. Then your family consisted of your father and mother and
how many children? A. Two boys and two girls.
Q. That is, yourself, your brother, Mrs. Morrey and Adelaide
Specht? A. Yes, sir.
Q. How old are you? A. I will be 28 the 28th of March.
Q. Then you will rememh-^r ^he condition of your family, family
■:«,
48
Mrs. Specht
t, I bore in
nd for that
d over youi
his favor?
1 in the cit}
■t of 1894, I
he GunstoD
A. By this
appointed
im my wife
ue was be
3, sir; it ap' |
witness.
defendants,
on, D. C.
the Episco
ry'^ A. At
then a year
ph Specht?
)st of your
ttother and
i Adelaide
ch.
lily, family
ties, and its position generally, for a good many years past? A.
Yes, sir.
r Q. In St. Louis what was the condition of the family? A. At
^hat time?
i Q. Prior to 1891? A. Well, there seemed to be a great deal of
harmony amongst the members of our family; but my mother was
^Interested in philosophical matters, esoteric religions, and things
|ike that, before she met this man Howard; she was carried away
^y things of that sort under the belief that her mind was so con-
iltituted that she could develop in ways that other minds could not.
nrs. Allon in the Box.
' Q. Did that effect to any appreciable extent your harmony as a
lamily? A. It did in this way; that she was engaged in literary
^Ibbors, writing a good deal, and consequently gradually gave up
rciety.
, Q. Then in 1891 she met Howard? A. Yes, but she had corre-
^iponded with him previously to that.
'*§ Q. But she met Howard in 1891? A. I am not sure that it was
1891. I think it was 1890.
Q. It has appeared in the evidence that it was in 1891. A. Let me
Ihink to be sure about the date. (A pause.) Yes, it was in the
Ipring of 1891.
' Q. Did Howard come to St. Louis? A. Yes, sir.
' Q. And there met your mother and father?
■'^
n
44
SUPERHUMAN POWERS.
A. Yes, sir; but she did not identify him as the man with whom
she had been corresponding until he made himself known. In hia
correspondence with her he signed himself the "Sage of Aru;" and
the letters were supposed to come through a mysterious channel.
1 remember the tirst letter that my mother received: it had a lotus
flower in it, and she told me that the letter had come without any
human agency whatsoever; that by virtue oi" superhuman powers
they could send a letter from the Himalaya Mountains to St. Louia
in a very few hours, and she seemed to be very much impressed
with it. ' That letter was written, I think, in 1890, or 1889, while
the Prices were away. My mother had a sort of conception that
he (Howard) was some great sage or something, because at different
times she turned my brother and myself out of our rooms because
he was a great man. He came up there, and she treated him like
he was a god, and if she did not send us away, she would make us
tip-toe around and things of that sort. But after that he revealed
himself to her as the Sage of Aru.
Q. Was he known at that time by that title? A. No; he went
under the name of Howard.
Q. But your mother understood him, then, as being the Sage of
Aru? A. Yes, sir.
Q. Did she address him in that way? A. No, she did not,
Q. Except in written communications? A. Well, I don't know
that she ever addressed him in that way in communications. But
she may have, I don't remember.
Q. There is one letter showing that she did? A. Oh, yes; I
know she frequently addressed him as master; that was another
one of his titles.
Q. "Rev. and Respected Master, the Sage of Aru?" A. Yes,
that is the way.
Q. That is the way your mother addressed him? A. Yes, sir.
Q. That was in the spring of 1891? A. Yes, sir.
Q. How long did he remain there, do you remember? A. He
remained two or three weeks.
Q. Living at the hotel in St. Louis? A. No, sir; at our house.
Q. Do yon know anything about the adherents they got at St.
Louis? A. Oh, they got quite a number of society women.
Q. Did they get any men over and above Price and Nidelet? A.
No, sir; he told my mother at first that all that he wanted was to
get a number of prominent ladies interested in the work, to form
a class for instruction; and if I recollect properly, they came to our
house frequently and had meetings in the afternoons.
Q. At your mother's house? A. Yes, sir.
Q. Did the appearance of Howard then create any sensation
among the people there, or was it just among the few ladies? A.
It created a sensation in this way: at the fact of Mr. Price being
'"^
with whom
wn. In his
Aru;" aud
•us channel,
had a lotus
without any
nan powers
to St. Louis
I impressed
1889, while
ieptiou that
at different
ms because
ed him like
lid make us
he revealed
o; he went
the Sage of
not.
don't know
itions. But
Oh, yes; I
ms another
•" A. Yes,
fes, sir.
ir? A. He
' house,
got at St
en.
Idelet? A.
ted was to
•k, to form
ame to our
sensation
adies? A.
•rice being
associated with him and the fact that Mr. Price was lecturing.
Howard would write lectures and Price would read them. Then
l>e was interviewed by the reporters and they laid out the work.
AN EXTRAORDINARY MAN.
Q. What was the nature of his conduct? A. He struck me then
as an extraordinary man, and a man of very high character. He
was a smooth talker, very imjjressive in his bearing, and very
gentle; and I should say a man as to whom any one coming to him
it first would say, "There is a noble man." He was well up in
llectro-therapeutics; I don't know where he learned it, but he
ipeemed to be well versed. My mother was rather nervous, and he
did really help her. Then he brought out his scheme of founding
l^n institution for the education of doctors — he called them doctor-
jbriests; every priest was supposed to be a doctor; and in that way
fhey would benefit mankind and humanity in general.
I Q. You believed he was a doctor? A. Yes, sir.
i; Q. Then did he leave without any further declanition of his
intentions, or was it then arranged that he should establish this
' j|nstitution? A. It was then arranged. He said it was the object of
|he order; that he had unlimited wealth, millions, to establish the
|vork, as he called it, in this country; but that it was against the
^^ule of the order to give any money out of the treasury; that each
Country was to start the thing itself; that he was looking round for
lome one who would give it a start; and he laid great stress upon
•|he great things that would devolve upon the family through help-
!?!|ng him. Then my mother offered to give $5,000, with the permis-
sion of my father. I do not know what conversation she had with
father about it, but I know that she did promise that, and with
lather's consent. And there is one thing that I might explain that
■%ould justify my father in what he did, and which I do not think
'§10 explained, and that is the fact that my mother is a woman of
tinusual mind; she is a literary woman, and my father, being a
business man, looked up to her as a superior woman and allowed
her to arrange all the household affairs and things like that as she
Jiked, so that tliey did not interfere with his business. He seemed
to believe fully that she had superior wisdom in those things. So
that when she proposed this gift of $5,000 he, believing so thor-
.Oughly in her capacity and her superior v/isdom, naturally agreed
to do what she wished, according to the representations of her and
Howard.
f Q. Did Howard at that time make any representations as to his
'%ast career? A. No, he did not, to my knowledge.
'> Q. Did he, so far as you know, state where he had come from?
J A. No, sir; that is a mystery, excepting that he was living in
'IMo.ntreal at that time. He seemed to like to throw an air of
Invsterv about himself.
wrr
46
Q. And, I suppose, constantly kept that air of mystery about him?
A. Yes, sir; he did.
Q. He left, you say, at the end of about three weeks, so far as
you know? A. Yes; but he didn't have money to go away with,
and I know father had to give him |5()l) or |GUO; he did that the
same as he would help any ]>reacher, for father was always very
charitable to ministers.
Q. So he helped him in that way, by giving him the money to
take hinj awav from St. Louiy?
A.
KEGAKDEl) AS A FKIEST.
M!
A. Yes, sir; my idea, and father's and mother's idea, was the
same — we looked upon him almost the sauie as a clergyman or
priest in any church.
Q. What WPS the next you heard of him? A. The next I heard
of him was when I went to Montreal. 1 can tell you exactly when
that was; it was at the June races, the latter i>arit of June or early
part of July, 1891. I know I got into some scrape and my father
was very angry about it and refused to have anything to do with
me, and mother said to me, ''Well, wliy don't you go to Dr. How-
ard?" I said: "Co to Dr. Howard, for what?" She said: "Go
there and study medicine under him." W^ell, I thought of the
man then as a suj)erior man, and thought he might do me some
good. So I made up my mind that if his religion was what he rep-
resented it to be I would become a neophyte, and not only study
medicine with him, but become one of his men. So I went to
Montreal, and the day I arrived there — I had not previously com-
municated with him to tell him that I was coming, and I don't
know whether my mother had, but I arrived at his residence, 209
St. Antoine street, and the girl admitted me, and soon Howard
came in and said: "I have been expecting you. Your room is
prepared," with an air of mystery. So I did not say anything to
him, and he asked me to meet his wife; I had not met her before.
She came and looked at me, and after she went out he very kindly
told me that she liked me, and that the influences around me were
very good, with the exception of one of my ancestors, who was
driving me to drink, but that a few months under his care would
totally eliminate that evil influence.
Q. How long did you remain in Montreal? A. I stayea there
four months.
Q. During that time what did you do, so far as he was con-
cerned? A. For the first two or three months I studied chemistry
under him, but I found him to be inconsistent, not only in his
teachings, but in his life; and then I ceased to believe in him. My
idol was shattered, and I just looked upon him as a scoundrel.
Q. In what respect were you disappointed in his conduct?
..^;j?3»ta.afe'«wS?wi'*»-»»*»^~*"^-"--- ■
■!*»
47
about him?
I, so far as
siway with,
id that the
I ways very
' money to
I, was the
'gyman or
xt I heard
Lctly when
iG or eail_y
my father
:o do with
Dr. How-
aid: "Go
:ht of the
me some
lat he rep-
>nly study
[ went to
•usly com-
d I don't
lence, 209
1 Howard
:• room is
ything to
er before,
fry kindly
1 me were
who was
ire would
yea there
was con-
ihemistry
ly in his
lim. My
irel.
HOWARD ON DUCKS.
"A. I found him to be a liar. To give you an example, aud to
lAow you how he was looked upon as others in the house, QuintuB
IJUce was there later on; Mrs. Howard looked upou him before
ate as if he were a god and not a man. I never did, I must say
Ifeat. One day he was talking about ducks, aud claimed to be a
feat shooter. He was always very ready to impart information
me, aud he said to mo, "Joseph, you know that the canvas-back
ick is the male mallard." 1 said, "You are mistaken; they are a
stinct species.'' He said, "No, it is not a distinct species/' I
f'lid, "I will leave it to Webster." So 1 looked it up iu the dic-
onary and found that he was mistaken. Then he deliberately
forned round and said Webster was wrong. So that settled it with
?e.
ji Q- W'as there anything else in his conduct? A. I know in hie
Histructions in chemistry he Would say one thing one day, aud
ifterward deny that he had said it. So I threw up the study of
^emistry under him, and told him I would not study under a man
yhen I had lost my respect for him.
> Q. How long were you there altogether? A. Four months,
|»robably longer. As the four months came toward a close I wrote
|o my father that I did not believe in the man, and not to send
pirn any more money; that he was a scoundrel, and was trying to
■fheat him; that he did not have any religion. He could not
Iet a decent servant to work for him. He told me at one tiiue
bat if any one drank whisky in his house the elementals, the
^il forces, would come around him, he was so sensitive, aud
Worry him, and in that way he could tell when anyone was
drinking whisky. But while I was there he had a woman who was
drunk all the time, and he did not know it. So that I found that
jie was a liar. Then he told me also that he could sit downstairs
jehen I would be writing a letter upstairs, and he could tell me
jlXactly what I had written. I suppose he did that in order to
ieep me from writing what I thought about him, but that did not
(Jeter me. He left Montreal before I did.
Q. Then you had a very good opportunity to study the man's
ciiaracter during those four months? A. Yes, sir.
WAS A HYPNOTIST.
^ Q. The conclusion you came to was that he was a hypnotist? A.
%e never influenced me except at first. After I lived in his house
-Jt began to suspect him. Quintus Price, the man who was there
^ith me, struck me as a man who had lost his entire will power;
' %e was just like a child; was extremely nervous, and I used to
[. .^heat him like a baby. I brought him and Mr. Howard's dog down
f i^ Gunston when I came, and T had more trouble with the man
ttian I had with the dog.
if.
I
i
Q. You left Montreal in what mouth? A. It was in the (p" of
the year, because 1 remember 1 got some heavy clothing. It .-dt
have beeu in October that I left, but he left a month before that.
Q. Then wh(?re did you go? A. I wrote my father that 1 did not
cure (o stay with him any mOre. Howard having left, contem-
plating moving to (Juuston; he had gone down there to look after
things and straighten up, so as to move the furniture and things,
and all the time he was away the people were coming to (he house
trying to collect money that he owed them, and Mrs. Howard had
the burden to bear. Inasmuch as I was a guest in the house at
that time, and inasniuch as I thought he was doing this work for
his love of me, altliougli my father was sending him a hundred
dollars a month for my board and tuition — and the board was bad
enough — but feeling that I was a guest in the house, I volunteered
to stay there and pack his medicines and everything he had, so as to
relieve Mrs. Howard of so much trouble in getting ready to move
to (lunston. Then she suggested that I take Cisco, the dog, whicli
was considered to be very valuable and prized by Dr. Howard, and
Quintus Trice down with me and look aft<M' them. So I did. This
was in October.
Q. Howard came to Gunston, and, according to the evidence,
went backward and forward once or twice before he eventually set
tied in (Junston; that is, went back to Montreal, apparently, once
or twice, and then settled in Gunston. Was he settled when you
got there? A. He was settled when I got ther^ They had one
little cottage, and I remember that when I ar ^ there, I of
course went to his house, having been his guest, and spent the first
night with him; and he was frightened to death when I told
him I was going to Gunston Hall; and he said to me — I re-
member his ex.act words — he says: "Joseph, if you will
take my advice, you will never cross the Gunston Hall line.'' Some
time previous to my going there — I got this from the neighbors —
he had stated that I was a drunkard, a wild Western cow^boy, and
he was going to reform me; that my father had placed me in his
care, and he was going to take care of me. So, naturally, when I
got down there at the wharf the people just crowded there to see
me. I didn't know why they were all there. I had on a big hat,
and if I had known what they expected, I would have had a gun
with me and fired it off. But I didn't know that. I was the most
peaceable man in the world, and everybody watched me, but I
didn't do anything that was unusual, and went up to the house.
SAW HIS SCHEME THEN.
He had told my mother that I was one of the elect; that it was
predestinated that I should be made one of the priests of the order.
I saw his scheme then. His scheme was to get my mother and to
get me, and then he thought if he got my mother and myself, he
would have no trou.ble in getting. my father.
,##
v^*«
the fr" of
. It --dt
re that,
t 1 (lid not
't, contem-
look after
iiid things,
I (he hoUHB
owai'tl had
e house at
a work for
a hundred
d was bad
olunteered
id, !so as to
ly to move
llo<^^ whicli
)ward, and
did. This
! evidence,
itually set
iitl.v, once
when you
y had one
here, I of
tit the first
len I told
nie — I re-
you will
le.'' Some
eighbors —
►wboy, and
me in his
ly, when I
lere to see
a big hat,
had a guD
s the most
me, but I
house.
hat it wae
the order,
ler and to
nyself, he
HOWARD'S PECULIAR AND MARKED OB
JECTION TO BEING SKETCHED.
The Plaintiff and His Friends Attract Attention in the Court.
THE EXAMINATION OF HOWARD ON DISCOVERY— HE RE-
FUSES TO ANSWER MANY QUESTIONS -HIS OWN
VERSION OF HIS DOINGS AND FLIGHT.
Ur. a. S. Howard, Mkel<^li«>«l l».r tlio MIhf'm Npocial ArtiHl at.
the Trial.
(Continued from Yesterday.
^Special to the Star.
■ Perth, Out., April 29. — The crowds of people who thronged the
court room here during the famous Brahmo philosopho-mummery
trial had plenty to interest them in the evidence, but none of the
revelations, sad, grotesque, blasphemous or merely scandalous, had
more interest for the spectators, who hemmed in the court constables
^ 4ft
50
^
i.M
1
IP
i;;
I
I
K
to such an extent that they were completely incapacitated for per-
forming their duties, than the plaintiff Howard and his party.
At each sitting of the court:, Howard, stalwart and apparently
unconcerned, his broad, but slightly stooping shoulders and splen
didly shaped 'head towering above the heads of everybody else,
quietly walked into court, followed by four ladies, the youngest of
whom was accompanied by a perfect cherub of a fat-faced, rosy-
cheeked, golden-haired little lad of about five. It was a party tluit
would attract universal attention on St. James street, for they were
unquestionably a distinguished looking lot. Howard, himself, is a
man to delight the eye of the artist, face, figure and bearing being
singularly nearly attaining the ideal, the ideal of the sage and
philosopher rather than the dashing cavalry one would look for and
certainly find in a retired commanding officer of the 17th Lancers,
"The Duke of Cambridge's Own," or "Death or Glory Boys." But
for a rather heavv streak of grev in what was once a coal black
beard he might pass for a man of not over forty. He is probably
nearer sixty. His classical, clean-cut face, with its large and a(iuillne
nose, with thinly chiselled and sensitive nostrils, shows neither hol-
low nor wrinkle. But those who knorv Howard say that the charm
about him is his voice, which is soft, low and well modulated. It
is a pleasure they say to hear him speak, and as the mood seizes
him his brown eyes melt into a deep black, full of mystery, or flash
with a fire that makes a weaker will quail before him. He is mon*
than magnetic — there is a fascination in his presence which may
or may not be attributed to occult powers. But materialists in this
materialistic age naturally regard the claims made as to his occult
powers with cynicism and suspicion.
Howard was plainly though comfortably enough attired, and
by his dress might easily have been taken for a country preacher.
He wore an overcoat all the time in court, though most of those
who were present found the temperature rather uncomfortably
warm. He always walks into the court room ahead of his female
companions, and they sat down alongside of him in the available
seats near the front of the court.
MORE COMMISSION EVIDENCE.
I
The reading of the evidence of Kev. Joseph Specht, taken before
the commission, was continued.
Q. Now, coming down to Ounston and his terms there, did you
ever see any of tlie mysterious document which Howard pretended
to have? A. Yes, he sIiow^hI me some one day. I had always heard
that the highest degree a mason could take was the 33rd degree, but
he showed me some degrees — they were supposed to be degrees—
that went as high as 17t) and away up there, which could only be ob-
tained in the East, and he made out charts for me and everybody.
Q. You mean horoscopes, like these (exhibiting)? A. Yes. sir.
Q. Have you got one that he made for you? A. No, sir.
51
?d for per-
•arty.
ipparentlv
and splen
body else,
)nnge8t of
iced, rosy-
party liiiit
they were
mself, is a
ring being
sage and
k for and
1 Lancers,
I)ys." lint
oal black
probably
d a<}uiline
either hoi-
the charm
ilated. It
ood seizes
y, or flash
[e is more
^hich may
sts in this
liis occult
ired, and
preacher.
t of those
mfortablv
lis female
available
en before
, did you
)retended
lys heard
igree, but
legrees—
ily be ob-
ybody.
es. sir.
$ Q. Did you ever see these horoscopes*' A. I have seen these be-
*lbre, but I do not suppose I saw them in his possession. T «an
Identify these as in liis handwriting.
if Q. These are in his handwriting? A. Yes, sir.
f Q. What does he mean by these? A. He claimed that by the aid
of these horoscopes, he could read the future.
■i Q. Now we will come to this work at Gunston: What did he do
lere? So far as you could observe, did he carry out to a conclusion
ly of the objects that he undertook? A. No, sir. In the first place,
ie told me personally that when the cornerstone was laid — and it
Jiad to be laid before or about the time of the vernal equinox, which
^as the twentieth of September, and that was while I was in Mon-
^eal — that when the cornerstone was laid at Gunston, Va., all the
"tingdoms of the world could not prevail against tlie order, and that
lenturies hence that would still be there in a firm state. He believed
phat at certain seasons of the year the spiritual influences would
lover nearer man than at any other time; also that at 4 o'clock
Qln the morning the guardian angels woulr" change watch; he told
•%ie all such things himself. With refererce to that $5,000, to my
^personal knowledge, he never paid but $10 on the purchase price
M $1,000, and I know that the improvements on the ])roperty did
i\ot cost him over $1,000 altogether at the most. So what he did
%ith the $4,000 was to spend it on ' self. His living expenses
were almost nothing, because even the food for his horses was
brought down from my father's place.
Q. In connection with working up the order and carrying out
.these grand schemes which he promulgated and promised, what
jflid he do, if he did anything? A. He did nothing.
Q. I mean in the thrj'e years he was at Gunston, from the spring
6t 1891 to the spring of 1894; what did he do? W^as there any no-
ticeable work going on? A. No, sir; there was not.
Q. Did he do anything toward bringing in many people, mak-
jfing the world better and all that? A. No, sir. From what I saw
of the man's character, and his methods, his object in coming to
Gunston was merely to' barnacle himself on my father, and even-
tually to secure his wealth and property.
Q. What was his life like there? Do you know anything about
it — not only at Gunston, but at Washington?
TOLD OBSCENE STORIES.
A. I know this: He was a man addicted to telling dirty stories;
I am sure of that, because he has told me a great many.
Q. You mean obscene stories? A. Yes, sir. And he was given
to the use of tobacco; he chewed tobacco and smoked. And as he
was so strict with other people, that shows he was not consistent.
Q. Do you mean to say that Howard actually indulged in reciting
Dbscene stories in obscene language? A. Undoubtedly; yes, sir.
Q. Did he tell you stories of that kind? A. Yes, sir.
62
id
■i
'i
p
'I
M
Q. Do you know whether he told them to others? A. Yes, sir,
I know he has tokl such stories to the Kesters, who live in the neigh
borhood of Gunston Hall, a very nice family.
HOWAKD'S WOUK.
Q. What was the ettect of all this Howaid's work upon your
mother and her relations to her family? A. It made her very vision
ary. She imagined she saw eiementals and forces, and she though:
she was clairvoyant and clairaudient. She went out into the kitchen
one day and took the bread out of the oven that had been put there
by the cook and stamped all over it. In answer to the question what
she did it for, she said it was possessed by the devil; every horse
and every dog had an evil spirit or a good spirit. I remember once
my mother in my company was driven up to the house by me, and
the horse jumped a little, and she wanted to get right out; she
said there was a curse at (lunston Hall, and Iloward made her be
live it was cursed because he did not have possession of it. I told
her if she did not have any more faith than that she ought to gci
some other religion. She did not say .i word in reply. But she
really did not get any benefit out of her religion, because she was
in constant fear all the time.
Q. In fear of what? A. Klementals and evil spirits.
Q. Where were y n at the time Howard left Guust n? A. I was
np in Washi''gton.
Q. Do you know anytliiug ol ]iis leaving Washington suddenly','
A. Yes, sir. 1 was right here in Washington, helping to instigate
proceedings; I t]iou;,lit he was going to leave, and I wauiCd to gci
his pictui'e taken, and sure enough he did leave, and when they went
to New York for him he had left; the reason he left was because lu
feared arrest in New York. I am satisfied of that.
Q. How are you satislied of that? A. Because he left so hui
riedly. and because he knew proceedings were going to be instituted
against him.
Q. Did you tell him? A. No. sir. I did not. But my father went
down and told him that he would either have to tell us who he was
or get out. That was sutlicient invitation.
Q. Your father told him he would jMit him in a penitentiary if
he did not go? A. ^'es. sir.
1I()W.\1{|>S XTMEKOrS DIGNITIES.
Q. Was it at that tinu' that Howard informed you about occupv
ing all these dilferent i»ositions? A. He told me of his different
positions in Montreal and also while at (Junston. I can give you
a lot of information on this subject, showing how ridiculous his
claims were.
Q. Take first tliose that are set out in the warrant, that he was
an English nobleman belonging to the Norfolk branch of the How
. Yes, sir,
the neigh
upon your
ery vision-
he thought
he kitchen
1 put there
stion what
very horse
mber once
)y me, and
it out; she
side her be
it. I tohi
ight to get
But she
se she was
A. I wa!«
sudtlenlv,'
:o instigate
Hied to get
I they went
because he
eft so hui
i institute!
ather went
kho he was
itentiai'y if
53
d family. Was that one of the statements he made that you heard?
'^. Oh, ves. He also made the same statement to Colonel Van
. Miamph, who was a member of the l>anish Legation in Washing-
ipn, and he can verity that.
' > Q Take next liis claim that he cultivated 20.01);; acies of land in
"ifoi'thumberland, neai- the Scotch border; that he claimed accjuain-.
■^nce with the Duke of^ Newcastle when the Duke accompanied
-iiie I'rince of Wales to this country in or prior to iJSOi. Was that
%ie of the statements he made, that he had been in the suite of tlie
jsjrrince of Wales? A. Yes, sir.
fe (). He was colonel of the ITlh Lancers. Then he went from Eng-
5||ftnd to India and then became the head of a i-eligious order having
j^s headcinarters in India, and having for its object the diosemination
v^f the Hrahmin-Indiaii jihilosoithy ; that such philosophy was to be
Substituted for the Christian religion. Did he state 'it it was to
v^e substituted? A. ). sir. 1 don't think he did. Hut he said it
%as suj)erior to the (J'hristian religion; just like Christianity came
fei when Judaism was in existence; it was not to be entirely substi-
tuted, but they said that they were partakers in a better dispensa-
tion.
Q. That as head of that order he was entitled to be designated the
Sage of Am? A. That was supi)osed to be his title in I'ldia.
Q. Is that what he stated, that he was entitled to that designation
In India? A. Yes. sir.
Q. Then he came to tlie Fnited States at the bidding of I he coun-
cil, with instructions to establisli and ojjcn a college in Fairfax
bounty, \'a., wher(^ the said philosophy and other principles of said
aprder might be taught. Was that the way Iw put it. or was it that
*Iie was to establish his seat of learning near the capital of this
Country? A. lie said both, it seems to hie; that it would be advan-
tageous to have it near the ca]>ital of this country. He really had
'*nigniticent scheems in \ i<nv, but of coui-se they never came oiit as
predicted.
Q. In addition to that, did he say that he had been an oflicer
in the 17fh Lancers? .\. That he was a colonel of the 17th Lancers.
He was a colonel in the Sejtoy rebelb"(Mi, as he said. So you can im-
ifegine that he must be a pretty old man.
Q. Yes, for that was in IS;"?.
IIKIi MAJESTY'S CLOSE FRIEND.
>ut occupy
s different
ti give yon
eulous his
lat he was
' the How
He was a member of the Hoyal Yaclit Club, and was a great
ifriend of the Queen; thai in her presence he was allowed to retain
liiis hat njton his liead; that lie would take off his liat, and she would
%ay, "Don't uncover." He told nie that. He was a great man.
Then he was also Prince of T'raagaya. But he had so many titles —
and then lie was a very good ])ainter. and a carpenter by trade, and
lie really was a pretty good carjienter. I liave never seen any of
his paintings. But he was a very versatile man, very showy, but
'^^,
o4
it was all on the surface. He had a Knight Templar's sword, an
ordinary cheap sword, with which he used to drive away the evil
spirits before commencing his services. I might give you some
information that proves him an awful liar, and that is that he met
his present wife in London at a reception given by Charles Dlckenis,
1 learned of this up in Montreal.
Q. Howard, the plaintiff, lived altogether a little ove*- three
years at Guuston. From your observation, what was he doing
iluring that time? What was the principal work he was en-
j;aged in? A. He spent a great deal of time in Washington. He
was very fond of luxuries, fond of dress, and he wore fur over-
voiiia in the winter time; fond of nice horses, at one time he had a
I en-acre farm, almost a garden patch, and he had three horses
(here. He always had the very best things; did not live plainly bv
auy means.
Q. He lived well? A. Yes, sir, he did.
Q. Then he visited your mother often at (Junston? A. Yes, sir;
lliough she more frequently drove down to his place with my sister.
Q. Generaly speaking, what was the effect of this man's intro-
iluction to your mother in 1891? A. It seemed to have this effect
on her: that she did not care for anything else; it made her selfish,
which she never was before; she seemed to lose all affection for her
family, and had but one end in view, and that was the salvation of
her own soul, and if possible of her husband's soul, by using (he
same means. I have got this from her myself — that in conse-
quence of my father not being her spirit-miate, not coming up to
her standard, he and she were really living in adultery when they
lieved together. That is what she told me, and that it was abso-
lutely necessary that father should either join the order with her.
■or she would have to leave him.
Q. Then it broke up the family in that sense? A. Yes, sir.
Q. And I suppose it had a serious effect u])on your father's hai>]»i
iiess for some considerable time? A. Yes, sir.
Q. Were any efforts made to get her to return home. A. I write
to her every once in a while and always tell her that she is always
welcome to live with me. And I never have failed to remember her
;Jit Christmas or anything like that.
m
HOWARD'S RITUALS.
Q. Did you ever see the ritual for classes that Howard made
out? A, Yes, sir.
Q. Look at the ritual I now hand you, and state whether that
wfis prepared by him? A. Yes, sir.
Q. Do you see his writing in it? A. I think this penmanship
that is interlined in the typewriting is his writing. My mother had
several copes of the ritual, and copies were sent to different places.
(Two drafts of said rittial were filed herewith, the Court admit-
ting them, though objected to.)
55
sword, an
y the evil
you some
at he met
Dickenis,
y&i- three
he doing
was eu-
?tou. He
fur over
he had ;i
ee horses
)liiinlv bv
Yes, sir;
my sister,
n's intro-
:his effect
er selfish.
)n for her
Ivatiou of
using the
in oouse-
ing up to
t'hen they
was ab.so-
with her.
, sir.
r's hap])!
L. I write
is always
■mlx'r licr
rd made
iher that
imanship
ther had
it place.>^.
•t admit-
Q. Do you know anything about the steps that were taken to
ave extradition proceedings instituted against Howard. A. Only
o far that when we heard he was in New York, then we had to
et requisition papers on the Governor of New York, and we were
^lold in Virginia that it was possible to get him extradited.
Q. Do you know about advising with Carlisle & Johnson on that
■ iBubject? A. Yes, sir.
/ Q. And of their making preparations to have extradition pro-
Ipeediugs instituted? A. They said it was possible, but they
||idvised that as he was out of the country, it would be better to let
fhim remain.
Q. That was after consideration. A. Yes, sir.
■ Q. Your father spoke to you about making preparation for extra-
ii-ldition, and then dropping it? A. I don't leniiMnber tlie ])oints. i
:*|£now I went with a man to New York to bring him back; I went to
^^ew York with the requisilion papers.
3 Q. Then you obtained requisition papers from the Governor of
Virginia? A. Yes, sir.
ff Q. And you went with the detective to New York. A. Yes, sir.
^i Q. What did you do there? A. We had a letter which he had
|;?iiailed. Through the postoffice authorities here we were allowed
^isi^iccess to his mail, and through the medium of detectives whenever
'#bere was a letter addressed to Mrs. Howard or to his lawyer we
.Jj^'ould read those letters; and in that way we found that he was in
-New York, and we even knew the station where he had mailed his
fietter. So we went to the station and I saw the New York Chief
v«f Police, and he detailed a couple of detectives to look him up.
;?Then I described the man in order that if they met him on the
street he might be arrested, but it was discovered that he had
„^one to Canada and so we returned.
Q. How long were you there? A. Three days.
AT GUNSTON HALL.
Thursday, March 24, 1898.
The commission resumed its sittings at Gunston Hall, Va., for the
xamination of witnesses there, Mr. Hogg, representing the defend-
ants, being present, no representative ai)pearing for the plaintiff.
Only brief extracts of this evidence were read to the jury, the defense
considering the case already strong enougli.
Viirolius Allen, a witness called on behalf of the defendant, hav-
';^ng been duly sworn, testified, among other things, as follows:
By Mr. Hogg —
Q. What is your occupation? A. T am a farmer at present. Our
ing the time that Dr. Howard was here T kept the postoffice and at-
i^ended the farm, and T carried the mail.
Q. Had you conversation with him? A. Oh, yes, sir.
Q. Did he ever say anything about beooming tlie owner of Onns-
56
ton Hall? A. He asked lue what would I think to see him become
the owner of Ounston Hall.
Q. Did he say how he would become the owner of it? A. He did
not.
John Sheppard, a witness on behalf of (he defendants,, having
been duly swoin, testified, aiuonj,' other thin{;s, as follows:
Jiy Mr. Hosfjj:
Q. Where do yon live? A. I live up in Mount Vernon distrir^
near Aceotink.
Q. What is your business? A, Fishing?.
Q. Do you know Mv. Joseph Specht? .\.' Yes, sir; since he came
to Gunston I have known him, that is, since 1SJ)1.
Q. How have you found him? A. 1 have found him a perfect
gentleman.
Q. Did .yo'i know Dr. Howard, the plaintiff in this case? A. Yes.
sir; I knew Howard.
Q. Where did he live? A. He lived down here in this jdace that
belonged to Col. Daniels, which he pretended to buy. or did buy.
from Miss Fi'eeman.
Q. Had he a house on it? A. Yes, sir; and he added little im-
provements— built a barn and a little cottage outside.
Q. Did you meet Howard frequently? A. Yes. sir; sometimes
everv dav for a week. I have seen him there often, verv often, 1
reckon a hundred or two hundred times a year.
(). Did he ever make any representations to you of his financial
position? A. Well, he used to talk like he had plenty of money.
|ir.
HOW HOWARD WORKED.
Q. What was he doing, so far as you know? A. Well, I didn't
see him doing much of anything. He pretended to come b.ere as a
doctor and practice medicine, but he didn't do anything for a liveli-
hood lere; ])retended to be living on the interest of his money.
i}. Did he ever practice medicine? A. No. sir; not that 1 know of
at all.
Q. Did he evei' speak lo you of his icligious views? A. Well. I
have heai'd him tall< sfMciiil tiiues about his religion.
Q. Did he evei- try to ger»yon to be oih' of his followers? A. I
didn't understand liiiii when he talked on that subject.
Q. Do you know of his trying to get others in this neigliborhood
to follow him? A. No, f,ir; not personally. I have heard he did,
but I don't know for a certainty that he did.
Q. Then, what was he doing generally, so f.ar as you could see?
A. The most I saw him doing was walking up and down, and row-
ing up and down the creek, and going backward and forward on
the steamboat between here and Washington.
Q. Did lie ever speak of his speculations in grain and stock? A.
Oh, yes, sir; I have heard him speak of that, and what he had done,
and how much money he had made.
67
n become
^. He did
s,, liaving
1 distl•i^^
he came
Ji perfect
A. Yes.
)ln<-e that
did buv.
little im-
ometimeB
r often, 1
financial
iionev.
, I didn't
l;ere as a
r a liveli-
(\V.
[ know of
. Well, i
's? A. I
liborhood
i he did.
)nld see?
and row
•ward on
ock? A.
lad done.
Specht and his wife,,
A. I don't know; that
Q. What was the nature of his conversation'? Did he give
ou the impression of being a very pious man*/ A. Well, no; he
idn't. He pretended to be a little of everything, I believe.
Q. Did you know anything about his so-called religion? A. No,
ir, I didn't.
Q. Did you evei- see him dressed in a peculiar fashion? A. Yes,
ir; I have seen him with his uniform on; that is, with his arms
n him, marching around. I .saw him go out of the house and
larch around, and 1 saw him lire a rille. He has his pistols around
im, and had a sword hung to his side, and they followed him
round.
'^! Q. Who followed him around? A. Mr.
alking around in the fields and yards.
Q. Wliat was he shooting the rilie for?
as a part 1 couldn't understand.
Q. Did lie explain lo you what he was doing? .\. No, he didn't
xplain; only that he said that was included in his belief.
Q. That that was part of his religious belief? A. Yes, sir.
Q. Did he ever say anything about Gunston Hall and the prop-
rty there? A. No, sir; not any more than he told me one day that
unston Hall and all belonged to Mrs. Specht, and he was inter-
eding for Mrs, Specht.
Q. Interceding for Mrs. Specht with whom? A. I supposed he
eant he was attending to her business for her.
Q. Did he ever say that (Junston Hall would be his property? A.
don't know if he ever did. If he did I disremember.
Q. Hen \'enue is a j)roperfy belonging to Mr. Specht? A. Yes,
ir.
Q. Did Howard tell you he was looking after that property? A,
.v^^'es, sir; and discharged servants, and he did discharge one because
f'ne didn't want him in the house.
Q. Did he ever say anything about his looking after Mr. Specht?
A. Yes. sir; he told me that he was guardian for Mr. Specht; that
iM^v. Specht wasn't capable of attending to his business.
HOWARD'S HORSES AND DOGS.
v| Q. How many acres of land had Howard there? A. 1 don't think
• l^e had but about five.
-?! Q. How nianv horses had he there? A. At one time I think he
Bad four and three at other times.
U Q. Did he require all those horses for that farm? A. No, sir; he
j*|ouldn't well keep one at work at that time; in fact, he didn't work
'^lose horses of any consequence. He just kept them there, and
those men he had there would ride them around every day for exer-
cise.
■ Q. Did you ever know why he kept those horses there? A. I
''Wouldn't tell why he did it. He had one that he said he had paid
:^m
FPT^TT"
S8
a thousand dollars for, but when the horses were sold I think the
mother and colt only brought $65. That was the best horse he had.
Q. Did you ever see his dog? A. Oh, yes, sir. He had some
dogs there that he valued at $1,001) a piece that I suppose were
hardly worth killing.
Q. Did you know Cisco, the yellow dog? A. Yes, sir; I tliink I
did see him with that kind of a dog. He had three outside of that,
though, and he might have had four. He told me that two pointer
dogs he had were registered, and 1 think he said they cost $10,000
or $15,000.
Q. Do you know anything about dogs? A. Yes, sir.
'Q. What do you say about them? A. They were not worth any-
thing. They were just ordinary dogs, only tit to eat and bark. I
have been a gunner all my life, and got as line dogs as any man
ever owned. I was surprised at his statements about the dogs. I
had an idea, from the way he talked, that lie thought that every-
body down here in Virginia were cranks because he tried to lead
them to believe that way.
Mary Freeman, a witness called on behalf of the defendants, hav-
ing been duly sworn, testified as follows:
By Mr. Hogg:
Q. Where do you live? A. 1 live in (his neighborhood, and have
been living here about twelve years, with Miss Freeman.
Q. Did Howard, the plaintiff here, have possession of that place?
A. Yes, sir. He made a bargain to purchase it from Miss Free-
man.
Q. Do you know how much he paid for it? A. He was to pay
her $1,000, but he paid her $10.
Q. Do you know that as a fact? A. Yes, sir; because I saw the
^10 in Miss Freeman's hands.
Q. Do you know whether lie ever paid any more for it? A. No,
sir; I don't know that he ever did. He certainly didn't before he
left the house, not a cent more.
Q. Do you remember that he loft in 1S!)4? A. But this was in
1891 that he made the transaction,
Q. Up to the time he left, do you know whether he paid Miss
Freeman any more? A. Nothing more was jiaid.
Q. What position did you occupy in his house? A. T codked for
him and had control of the plaec until his wife came from Mon-
treal; made his beds, attended to his clothes and cooked and done
everything that lie wanted around the house.
Q. What did he say, if anything, about being a prince or a king?
A. That was with reference to his religion. He had the highest
lionor and they had called him a prince, it seemed like, in this re-
ligious business, because he was the founder of it, the highest man.
They called him prince.
Q. Who called him prince? A. He said the people called him
prince.
08
think the
e he had.
lad Bome
ose were
I tliink I
\i of that,
o pointer
t $10,000
orth anj-
bark. I
any man
dogs. I
at every-
i to lead
mts, hav-
aud have
at place?
iss Free-
s to pay
saw the
A. No,
>efore he
s was in
aid Miss
loked for
M\\ Mon-
md done
a king?
highest
I this re-
OS t man.
lied him
M
Q. Did he hold religious worship of any kind in the house? A.
[Oh, yes, sir. The house was a double parlor, folding doors be-
Itween, and the doctor and Mrs. Howard had a long purple robe
[with tassels, and Mrs. Specht came one day, and Mrs. Howard said
{that the doctor was administering the holy writs. I don't know
Iwhat that was.
LIKE A BArXlSING GOWN.
Q. What was the dress he had on? ,\. It was just like a baptisr
ling gown. I think the gown had purple tassels, and he had a cap,
jand the gown was something like they wear in the circus.
Q. Had he a sword or any weapons about him? A. If I ain't
^mistaken he did have something hanging down at his side, but I
am near-sighted and didn't see very well. He put on that perform-
ance very often at night, and his wife would go through it.
Q. What did they go through? A. Of course I wasn't admitted.
Q. How did he come to tell yon that he was a prince and king in
this country? A. He used to talk a good deal at nights. Tlune
[•would be just the three of us there, and he showed us his diplomas.
didn't know what they were — great long rolls. They were in
[Latin, not English, and we couldn't read them.
Q. What country did he say he came from? tV. India; and his
rife, he said, was an Indian woman also.
Q. Did he tell you what the name of his religion was? A. It had
"K" in it, I think.
Q. Was it the Brahmin-Indian religion? A. Yes, sir; tiiat is it
jxactly, but he had another name for it, a long name, and it had a
"K" in it.
Q. Sat Bah Kooah? A. Yes, sir; that's what it was.
Q. How long have you known Mr. Specht? A. Ever since he has
)een here.
Q. How have you found him? .\. A perfect gentleman in every
[•espect, helping the poor and giving them work. Mr. Specht has
)een the salvation to the i)oor people since he has been here.
William Spencer Freeman, a witness on behalf of the defendants,
laving been duly sworn, testified among other things, as follows:
By Mr. Hogg:
Q. Where do you live? A. At (lunston.
Q. How long have you lived there? A. All my life.
Q. Did you work for Dr. Howard? A. I did.
Q. At what time? .\. It was in the year 1801.
Q. How long? A. About three months.
Q. He came there in August or in the summer of 1801? A. I
lon't know the dates. Me and my wife worked for him.
Q. Did he ever tell you of what he was going to do? A. He said
be was going to have an institution, and he was president of the in-
stitution.
Q. What was it for? \. To cure inebriates.
■»Hr
no
Q. Did ho build the iustitution? A. Well, he started it; but
when it was built it was a barn. Some days he would be more
commuuicalive than others. He started it for a barn, but one day
he walked out and looked at the buildinj;, and he says: "William"—
he always called nie by my first name— "William, I am goinj? to
build this so that lean turn it into a house at a moment's notice."
It seemed he wanted to have it understood that some parties were
backinfjj him up in the money business and about the people he was
goinj; to teach, and he was j^oing to turn this into an inebriate
asylum. He built the barn, but he never used it only to store stutf
in. It was only being completed when 1 left.
Q. Was it ever completed, as a matter of fact? A. No.
A HAHD-SHELL BAPTIST.
Q. Did lie ever tell you about his being very high up in a religious
order? \. I never had any confidence in his faith, and I think
he discovered that, and so he never told me anything about his
religion; but I gave him to understand that I was raised a Baptist,
and my belief was that and I didn't see how anybody could be any-
thing else, as 1 understood it; and I think he discovered that and
didn't press liis religion.
Q. Uow long have you known Mr. Specht? A. Ever since he
came here.
Q. How have you found him? A. A gentleman. I have worked
for Mr. Specht every year he has been in this vicinity, I believe,
except one.
T. F. Chapman, a witness on behalf of the defendants, havin};
been duly sworn, testified, among other things, as follows:
My Mr. Hogg:
Q. What is your ofKicial position? A. 1 was a justice of the
peace, but am not now.
Q. When did you cease to be justice of the peace? A. The 1st
of July, 1S!)7.
Q. \Vh(M(> did you live? A. In Fairfax county, Va.. at a place
called Hallowing.
Q. Do you know ]SIr. Specht? A. Very well, sir.
Q. How do you find liim? A. A very scjuare man in every w
spect; no complaint to be found against him. He is doing good
work in his neij,rlil)orhood. He contributes very liberally to the
church and is a member and vestryman of Pohick church.
Q. How long have you known liim? A. Ever since he came here,
about seven years ago.
Q. Did yon know Dr. Howard? A. I did.
Q. Did yon come in contact with him much? A. Yes. sir. He
was at my house several times. He and Dr. Nidelet attended me
during a spell of kidney trouble I had, and when Dr. Howard went
away for four or five days he left Dr. Nidelet there.
Q. And Dr. Nidelet attended you as a physician? A. Yes, sir.
}d it; but
1 be more
it one day
y^illiam"—
I going to
's notice."
rties were
pie he was
inebriate
store stulT
61
Q. Do you know anything about Dr. Howard's affairs here? A.
I^No'ihing in the world. I know nothing in the world about his busi-
JCness. and to be candid I know nothing of his troubles with Mr.
gRpecht or his religion. He and I never talked about his religious
;affair8. Dr. Howard knew me, but he never approached me about
his religion or anything about his order.
Q. Did he ever talk to you about his institution? — A. He never
[opened his mouth to me about it.
The further taking of testimony under this commission was there-
Bupon adjourned to 3 o'clock p. m. of this day at Fleischman's Hotel,
*in Alexandria, Va.
a religious
id I think
about his
a Baptist.
Id be any
I that and
:• since he
ve worked
I believe,
ts, having
ice of the
V. The iKt
at a place
every re 1
oing good
lly to till' I
:*ame here.
u sir. He
tended me
fvard went
Yes, sir.
WARRANT FOR HOWARD'S ARREST.
^
€
Issued by the Mayor of Alexandria, Va.
DR. HOWARD CHARGED WITH THE LARCENY OF
FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS— INDICTMENTS
AGAINST HIM IN FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA.
ThurHday, March 24, 1898.
Met pmsuant t;) adjomiiincnt, Mr. Hosj? b^'inp; present on behalf
of the defendautH, ii(» representative ai)pearinf!; for the plaintifl".
Henr}' Strauss, a witness called for the defendants, having been
duly sworn, testified as follows:
Uy Mr. Uogg:
Q. Where do you reside? A. In Alexandria, Va.
Q. What otticial jmsition have you held in Alexandria? A. I was
nuiyor four years.
Q. What years were (hose? A. From 1891 to 1895, I believe.
Q. As such you were a magistrate, I suppose? A. A magistrate
ex officio.
Q. Do you remember an information bting laid before you May
13, 1894? A. Yes, air.
Q. Who was it that laid that information? A. Joseph Specht.
Q. That is, Joseph Specht, of St. Louis and (iunston Hall? A. Of
St. Louis I didn't know; but I know he is Joseph Specht, of Gunston
Hall, Va.
Q. Was there a written information laid before yoi.? A. No, sir.
Q. Then how was the warrant issu i" A. It was issued on the
complaint of Joseph Specht, on account of Granby S, Howard being
an embezzler or default«^r for $5,0(10 fiom Mrs. Specht. It was on
Sunday morning, I remember very well, he appeared at my house,
and then he went over to the office, and the chief issued the war-
rant and I signed it. The warra-^t. however, was signed by the
mayor, according to law, and the warrant w iS then placed in the
possession of Officer Young.
Q. \Vhat record have you in the police records of this warrant
having been issued? A. (Producing book.) There is the stub in
this book, showing the substance of the warrant, but the warrant
has been mislaid.
Q. Then you have not the warrant itself? A. No, sir; it was mis-
laid or I'll ;placed.
Q. And the information was laid before you verbally? A. Yes,
•ir.
C2
Q. So that all the rccordH you have now Ih the stub? A. The stub
inerely, showiiiK the complaint, and that tlic warrant was IhsuhI ui
information fnrniNlicd by Mr. Spccht uf t'mbczzh'mcnt by Howard
obtaining? ^"),(H)() from Mrs. Spcclit.
i}. That i8 the Htatemcnt that Ih still of record in the police de-
partment? A. YeH, Mir. **(:()m|)lainant, .Joseph Specht; person ac-
cused, (Iranby S. Howard; olVense, stealing ijs.'.OOO; date, May Kl,
18!)4; otTlcer, Youn^'."
A copy of this stub record, certilied by the commissioner, under
whom this testimony is taken, was tiled.
Q. What is the meaning,' of tliat part of the record, "Officer,
Younf;?" A. That means thai the warrant was placed in the hands
of Hjinner T. Younj;, an oHicer, to make the arrest.
Q. And that book remains of record in tlie police department?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. You say that was on a Sunday morninji; that Mr. Specht came
there? A. Yes, sir; very early in the morniu};.
Q. Did you know Mr. Specht before he came there? A. Yes, sir;
I was formerly enj^a^'cd in business here in Alexandria, and he
would come in my store, and \ have had his checks, and for that
reason I knew him.
Q. How did you tind him? A. I found him an honorable, hij^h-
toned gentleman.
James F. Webster, a witness called for defendants, having been
duly sworn, testified as follows:
By Mr. Hogg:
Q. What is your otTicial position? A. 1 am chief of police of the
city of Alexandria, Va.
Q. Were you chief of police in May, 1894? A. Yes, sir.
Q. Do you remember preparing a warrant on the IJUh of May,
1894? a". Yes. sir.
Q. Preparing a warrant on the complaint of whom? A. Mr.
Joseph Specht.
Q. Was that a part of the duty you performed? A. It has always
been the custom. I generaily till out warrants on printed forms.
THE USUAL COU^KSE FOLLOWED.
Q. Then how was the information given to you? A. Mr, Specht
appeared here with the nuiyor. It has been so long I won't be posi-
tive, but I know I saw Mr. Specht talking with the mayor there in
the police office. I think Mr. Specht (luestioned me whether I kn«'w
this Dr. G. S. Howard, but I did not know him. Upon the request
of the mayor I tilled out this warrant, charging Dr. Howard with
the larceny of flo.OOO, the money and property of Mr. Joseph Specht.
The mayor was there and signed the warrant.
Q. And that was the actual course you pursued? A. That is tlie
usual course that has alwfiys been pursued. Understand me, I
don't fill out every warrant, but as a general thing I do.
G4
Q. Did you make a copy of that warrant? A. No, sir; just merely
filled out the warrant and made the entry on this stub at the same
time in this book, which is of record; in fact, that stub was entered
before the warrant was filled out.
Q. The warrant then was the piece which was attached to this
stub? A. Yes, sir; that was torn off from this stub.
Q. Then having the warrant filled out and signed, what did you
<io with it? A. I placed it in the iiands of Officer Young. I under-
stood that Howard lived down near (Junston Hall, in Fairfax
county; that he was expected to go by Alexandria on the steamboat,
and that probably he might stop here; and Mr. Young, you under
stand, was on that beat. This town is laid o/f in beats, and Officer
Young was at that time on that beat; so I placed it in the hands
of Mr. Young, to be executed if he could find Dr. Howard.
Q. With instructions to have it executed if he could find Howard?
A, Yes, sir.
Q. Then what became of the warrant itself? A. The warrant
remained in Mr. Young's hands. Mr. Young mislaid it, I think; at
least I don't think any return was made of it into the office. I have
no recollection of it. but 1 have a recollection that the warrant was
issued on a complaint of Mr. Specht, and that is what it was issued
for. I never saw Mr. Specht before that day. I liad often heard
of him.
Q. And this is an original book? A. Yes, sir.
Q. You could not give me this book to take away? A. No, sir.
Q. It is part of the records of the police department? A. It is
part of. the records of the police department.
0. So that if 1 were to ask you for it you would have to decline?
A. Yes, sir.
ATTEMPTED nO\V.\KD*S AKHEST.
Banner T. Young, a witness for tlie defendants, having been duiv
sworn, testified as follows:
liy Mr. Hogg:
Q. What is your official position? A. \ am on the police. force
of the city of Alexandria, ^'a.
Q. How long have you been on that police force? A. I suppose
about twelve years.
~ Q. So that y(Mi were a poli'-e officer on the i:Uh of May, 1894? A.
Yes. sir.
Q. Do yo»i remember what day of the week that was? A. It was
on a Sunday.
Q. Tell jue what happened that morning? .\. The warrant was
made out and given to me, and the captain told me to go to the
wharf and see if I could find this Mr. Howard on the boat; that this
was a warrant charging Howard witli the larceny of Ijpn.OOO. So I
proceeded to the wharf, and Mr. Specht was with sue. He said:
''We will go down, and I may see him on the front of the boat, and
a
^
merely
le same
entered
to this
did you
under-
Fairfax
imboat,
under
Officer
hands
oward?
kvarraut
link; at
I have
lint was
3 issued
[1 heard
o, sir.
A. It is
Liecline?
en dulv
•e . force
suppose
)4? A.
It was
mt was
to the
lat tl)is
. 80 I
e said:
at, and
65
if I do I will point him out to you." We went down to the wharf,
and when the boat came up we examined the boat, but could not
find him. He did not come up on the boat that day.
Q. You had a warrant in your possession at the time? A. Yes,
sir; and if I had seen him there I would have taken him into cus-
tody. Those were my instructions, and that was my duty.
Q. How long did you keep that warrant? A. I had that warrant,
as near as I can recollect, about a week.
Q. And were you keeping a lookout for Howard? — A. Yes, sir.
Q. Were you able to execute it? A. No, sir; I didn't see him at
all.
Q. What did you do with the warrant? A. I either put it on the
file or it was mislaid in some way. I didn't see anything more of
the warrant afterward. It was searched for afterward by the cap-
tain and myself, but we could not find it. What became of the war-
rant I don't know, but I think it was mislaid by either being put on
the desk or being put on the file, as near as I o^n remember. That
has been a good while ago.
Q. Were you present when the warrant was sworn out? A. Yes,
sir.
Q. Who administered tiie oath to Mr. Specht? A. Mayor
Strauss.
Q. And it was upon that sworn information then that the war-
rant was issued? A. Yes, sir.
THE SECOND WARRANT.
Friday, March 25, 1898.
Met pursuant to adjournment at the office of Hon. James M. Love,
in Fairfax court-house, Va., at 10 o'clock a. m., Mr. Hogg, represent-
ing the defendants, being present, no representative appearing for
the plaintifiP.
Hon. James M. Love, a witness on behalf of the defendants, hav-
ing been duly sworn, testified as follows:
By Mr. Hogg:
Q. What is your position? A. I am judge of the county courts
of Fairfax and Alexandria counties.
Q. Is that an appointive office? A. No, sir; I was elected by the
Legislature of Virginia.
Q. How long liave you been judge of the county courts of Fair-
fax and Alexandria counties? A. I suppose about eleven months.
Q. What is the jurisdiction of your courts? A. I have exclusive
original jurisdiction in criminal matters, and I also act as a pro-
bate court and ps a court of appellate jurisdiction to hear appeals
from magistrates' decisions.
Q. And in civil cases? A. That is, in civil cases. A magistrate
had jurisdiction in civil cases up to a certain amount, and in certain
criminal matters he had jurisdiction.
I
66
Q. What was your positiou iu May, 1894? A. I was attorney
for the Commonwealth of Virginia, for Fairfax county.
Q. As such, what were your duties with reference to criminal
matters, so far as trial was concerned? A. I occupied the same
position, I imagine, as the crown attorney in England. I had the
prosecution of all criuiiual proceedings in the courts.
Q. You prepared all the indictments? A. 1 prepared all indict-
ments and prosecuted the cases.
Q. You laid complaints before the grand jury to get the result of
its consideration? A. Yes, sir; by sending witnesses before the
grand jury, and if a true bill were returned then my duty was to
prosecute the case before the petit jury.
Q. Do you remember being instrumental, in May, ISOi, iu having
a warrant issued, or in advising, in your othcial capacity as Com-
monwealth's attorney, the issue of a warrant against one Granby S.
Howard? A. Yes, sir; I recall that. 1 do not remember the
month, but I think that is about the time. The information upon
which the warrant was issued was obtained on the oath of Mr.
Joseph ISpecht, said oath having been made before Mr. J. K. Taylor.
J. 1*. This warrant was really drawn under my supervision, by my
own hand or under my directions.
Q. After that, so far as concerned, the efforts to execute the war-
rant, I suppose, you would not know personally? A. I do not re-
member what was done. Tliat went into the hands of the sheriff,
I imagine.
Q. Then the further proceedings on the warrant up to the time
of the indictment would not be within your knowledge? A. No,
sir.
Q. Then some time later, do you remember the matter coming up
again in your official capacity as Commonwealth's attorney? A.
I do.
Q. What was done then? A. As attorney fo- the Common-
wealth I laid the case before the grand jury.
Q. You prepared the indictments? A. I prepared the indict-
ments and sent the case to the grand jury, who returned true bills
in both cases.
(Objected to and objection sustained.)
AN INTERSTATE REQUISITION.
Q. When the warrant was issued iu May, 1894, were you instru-
mental in getting a requisition from the Governor of Virginia? A.
1 was.
Q. For what purpose? A. In order to get the body of Howard,
and in order that he might be tried for this alleged offense.
Q. To whom was that requisition issued? A. I asked the Gov-
ernor of Virginia to issue a requisition for Howard, who I had
reason to believe was in New York city.
Q. Then your application was for a requisition from the Gov-
67
ernor of Virginia upon the (iovornor of New York to apprehend
Howard? A. Yes, sir; for whom a warrant luid been issued in
[Fairfax county.
il You state tliat tliis warrant was issued upon oaiii. Was the
|iDforination upon wliieh the warrant was issued written or verbal?
A. [ imagine that it was written, though I cannot distinctly re-
|('all. I imagine the information and warrant were together.
Q. These indictments, you say, have never been tried before a
pclil jury?
(Objected to and objection sustained.)
ANOTHER WASHINOTON WITNESS.
Friday, March 1^5, l.S'JH.
Met pursuant to adjournment, at the oUice of Mr. Aaron Johns,
No. 844 D street, N. W., Washington, D. C, at .'J:15 o'clock p. m.,
Mr. Hogg, representing the defendants, being present, no representa-
tive appearing for the plaintiff.
William Walter Haislip, a witness on behalf of the defendants,
having been duly sworn, testified as follows:
By Mr. Hogg:
Q. Where do you reside? A. 2(K{;{ Ninth street, N. W., Wash-
ington, D. C.
Q. What business do you carry on? A. Grocery.
Q. How long have you been carrying on that business? A.
About four years.
Q. What were you doing prior to that? A. I had charge of Mr.
Specht's farm, Gunston Hall, Va.
Q. Did you know Granby S. Howard, the plaintiff in this case?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Where was he at the time you were at Gunston Hall? A. He
lived at his residence, just below Gunston Hall. It was part of the
same farm, only about half a mile from Gunston Hall.
Q. What was he doing there? A. I can hardly tell you what he
was doing; he didn't seem to be doing much except working the
old gentleman. I mean by that, getting all he could out of Mr.
Joseph Specht.
Q. What was he actually doing there? Was he farming or
what? A. He claimed he was carrying on a kind of a religion
down there.
Q. Did you ever have any conversation with him? A. Yes, sir;
I have heard him sj)eak of it a great numy times.
Q. Was he much at Gunston Hall? A. About every day.
Q. Who else was living at Gunston Hall at that time? A. Mrs.
Specht and her husband and son and little girl. Mr. vSpecht was
gone nearly four months at one time.
w
THE DOCTOR TESTIFIES ABOIT HIMSELFI
BIT REFISES TO ANSWER MANY
OF THE QIESTIONS.
Philosophy of the Priest, Kings of India and the Doings of Thcii]
American Followers.
EVIDENCE OF THE SAGE OF ARU'S FOLLOWERS PLACEDl
IN THE WITNESS BOX IN REBUTTAL.
(Special to the Star.)
Perth, Ont., April 28. — Interest in the big libel case was main I
tained up to the very last, tlie crowds inside the court room increasi
ing as the hearing proceeded. The reading of the evidence tala'n|
by the commission in the United States was continued as follows:
Q. Were Dr. Howard and Mrs. Specht together much? A. OhJ
yes; a great deal. I have seen them go into the house togethcr,|
and I have seen tiiem many times in the house.
Q. Did you notice what elfect Howard had upon Mrs. Specht?!
A. Oh, yes, sir. I think he had a bad effect. She was so disagree-;
able that nobody could hardly live there in the family in peace. Mr.|
Specht could hardly live there at times.
Q. What did Mr. Specht do about that? A. He didn't say or do|
anything very much. He would go off, and when things got paci-
fied he would come back.
TRIED TO PACIFY HER.
Q. Did you observe that he tried to pacify Mrs. Specht? A. Oh,|
yes; I think he tried to pacify her.
Q. How did he act toward her? A. It seemed to me he did all|
for her tliat any mortal man could do.
Q. What do you say about Mr. Specht and his character? Howl
have you found him? A. I have found Mr. Specht to be a very nice|
gentleman. I don't think there could be anything said against Mr.
Specht so far as his character is concerned, not down there. He I
made a great many friends all through that neighborhood, and mo8t|
all the people there felt very sorry for him.
Charles E. Flinder, a witness for the defendants, having been duly|
8 worn, testified as follows:
69
By Mr. Hogg:
Q. Where do you reside? A. At 407 Second street N. W., Wash-
ington.
Q. What is your occupation? A. At the present time I am an
)fficer of the Bottlers' Protective Association of the District of Co-
lombia.
Q. What was your occupation in 1894? A. I was a private de-
fective.
Q. Attached to any bureau of detectives? A. W. Williams', an
iuthorized detective agency, authorized by the Commissioners of
the District of Columbia.
Q. You remember about May, 1894, receiving a warrant? A.
fes, sir.
Q. From whom did you receive the warrant? A. I think the
/arrant was sent by mail from Fairfax court-house to Mr. Specht
It the National Hotel, and 1 received it from him.
Q. Did he come to you with the warrant? A. No, sir. I reported
to him every day at the National Hotel.
Q. Then you went there and received the warrant from him? A.
es, sir.
Q. Had he in the meantime told you that he would want you for
some service of that kind? A. He had employed me to locate
loward.
Q. That was prior to your receiving the warrant? A. Yes, sir.
Q. What did you do in resi>ect to locating Howard before you re-
Iceived the warrant? A. I went to Burlington, N. J., and made
JBome inquiries there regarding this man, but he hadn't been there.
lit appeared he had been there, but he wasn't there at the time I
Iwcut there. Then I sent two people down to Gunston Hall, to watch
iHoward's wife, thinking he would get some communication from
Iher. Then she left there, and came to Washington, and resided for
ja time with a man named Sprague, on Sixth street S. E. Then I
[watched Sprague's house.
Q. Was this before or after tlie warrant was in your hands? A.
lAfter.
Q. Then all this you have stated about locating Howard was after
|the warrant was in your hands? A, Oh, yes, indeed.
Q. Before you go vny further, do you remember the day you got
|the warrant in May? A. That is an impossibility.
Q. I have here a certified vopy of the warrant, which you may
loolv at. (After looking at the certified copy of the warrant.) A.
{According to the best of my recoll»>('tioii May 14, 1894, was the
plate it was issued, because it was about that time that I received it.
THK EXTRADITION PROCEEDINGS.
Q. What did you do after that? A. As I have said, Mrs. Howard
|<'aiiie back to Washington, and stoj)ped on Sixth street S. E., at the
louse of a man named Sprague. T v/atched Mrs. Howard, and ooe
I
%
70
M
day I saw her go into the postottice on G street. I went in behind
her. She went to the money-order department and took a blanli,
and I took one ready to fill it out, but really I was virtually, while
pretending to till out a blank, looking over her shoulder, and found
where she was sending the money to, and the address and name, and
everything. I immediately reported the fact to Mr. Specht, and on
that information we got out extradition papers.
Q. She was sending money to some oue; to whom? A. She was
sending money to Howard.
Q. Was she i)utting Howard's name on the paper? A. No, I
don't til ink so. I forget the name now that she put on the paper.
Q. Was it Wilson? A. I believe it was. That sounds very fa-
miliar to me. ]?ut I know It wasn't Howard. Then I immediately
telegraphed to the chief of police in Montreal, and asked him to go
to a certain number and investigate and see whether a certain party
of a certain dcscri])tion was there. I had also sent him a circular.
In the meantime I think I had got out a thousand circulars, and
sent them broadcast throughout this country, Canada and Nova
Scotia.
Q. Circulars to what effect? A. diving a description of this man
Howard, and to locate him, and we would have the necessary ])a-
pers, and offering a reward of so much money for the information.
Q. How much money was it? A. That I can't tell you exactly,
but I think it was $500; I am pretty certain it was $500. I tele-
graphed immediately to the chief of police of Montreal, calling his
attention to the circular, and also told liini what it was; and I re-
ceived a telegram back from him, stating that the man was there in
Montreal at such and such a number. Then we got out extradition
papers.
Q. Before we come to the extradition papers, you went to linrling
ton yourself? A. Yes, sir.
(}. Why did you go to Burlington — to see if he was there? A.
Mr. Specht had h(^ard that Howard had been in Burlington, and
thought he might go there again. I went there, and I called on
some doctor, whose name I forget now, and who kiu?w Howard very
well, and he told me what sort of a man Howard was. T said I
knew all about Howard's character here, but I wanted to locate him.
Q. You made all the efforts you could to locate Howard? A. Yes,
sir.
Q. And the result of your efforts was, you say, that you located
him at last in Montreal, Canada? A. Yes, sir.
Q. Did you report that to Mr. Specht? A. Yes, sir.
Q. What took place after that? A. He had a consultation with
his attorneys, and at first they came to the conclusion to get out
extradition papers, and they were got out, and placed in my hands,
and I wasi supposed to go after this man and bring him back.
71
behind
blank,
y, while
d found
me, and
and ou
She was
No, I
paper,
very fn-
ediately
11 to go
in party
circular.
iir.M, and
1(1 Nova
his mail
sary pa-
lation.
exactly,
I tele-
lling his
md I re-
there in
iradition
Hurling-
^re? A.
on, and
illed ou
ird very
r said T
Eite him.
A. Yes,
located
on with
get out
' hands,
OUT OF IIAKM'H WAY.
But after further consultation they thought the matter would
make so much notoriety, and Mr. Specht having a kindly feeling
toward his wife, and not wanting to bring her into court to testify,
they came to the conclusion that it would be better to let the man
stay where he was, as he was out of harm's way in Canada, and
couldn't do any harm here.
Q. The extradition papers were jirepared and placed in your
hands? A. There is no doubt about that.
Q. \Yhat did you do with those papers? A. I returned them to
Mr. Specht, and I suppose he returned them to the proper authori-
ties. That is what should have been done.
Q. Did you proceed to New York? A. No, I didn't go to New
York after I got the reciiiisilion jiapers?
Q. But you did go to New York with the warrant? A. Oh, yes.
We didn't regard any other papers except the warrant.
Q. You went to New York witli the warrant for the puri)ose of
apprehending Howard? A. Yes, sir; and found that he had
skipped to Canada.
Q. Do you know how many days it was after you got the war-
rant when you went to New York? A. I went right away; I am
pretty certain I did. For instance, if T got the warrant to-day 1
certainly went to New York to-day.
Q. Was it after you had gone to New York that you v/ent to
Burlington? A. Yes, sir.
Q. Then it was after you had made these efforts to locate Howard
that a requisition of the (lovenior of Yirginia was placed in your
hands? A. Oli, yes.
Q. A requisition upon the (Jovernor of New York? A. The requi-
sition was upon the (Jovernor of New York, but you see when I got
to New York and found he had gone to Canada, then of course that
ended the usefulness of that requisition.
Q. Then you had the warrant as well as the requisition when you
went to New York? A. No. The warrant was only to apprehend
him. I didn't want to lose any time. My object was to have
Howard apprehend(H] and hold him until I could get a requisition.
But it is not necessary to wait for requisition papers. You' can
have a man apprehended and held so many days.
Q. When did you get the requisition; when you came back here?
A. When I came back.
Q. What did you do with the requisition of the Governor of Vir-
ginia? A. I returned it to Mr. Specht.
f^ '.
72
Saturday, March 26, 1898.
Met puraaant to adjournment, at the business house of Browning
& Middleton, 608 Pennsylvania avenue, Washington, D. C, at 4:30
o'clock p. m., Mr. Hogg appearing on behalf of the defendants, no
representative appearing on behalf of the plaintiff.
Horatio Browning, a witness called on behalf of the defendants,
having been duly sworn, testified as follows:
Mr. W. D. Hock. Q* <^«< C*unHel for Defendant.
J i.
By Mr. Hogg:
Q. You live in Washington, Mr. Browning? A. Yes, sir.
Q. How long have you lived there? A. Nearly fifty years.
Q. What business do you carry on? A, I have been in the
grocery business since 1850.
Q. Have you also been connected with :iny financial concerns?
A. I have been connected with the Central National Bank, as a
director, for twenty years.
Q. Did you know Dr. G. S. Howard, the plaintiff in this action?
A. Yes. sir.
Q. When did you know him? A. In 1892.
Q. Did he tell you anything about his religious views? A. Not
until the latter part of our acquaintanot'. Perhaps it was six
months before he left before he told me anything in that regard.
Q. Did he tell you what he was proposing to do here? A. Yes.
sir. He said he was introducing here a grand school for the pur-
198.
ening
4:30
s, no
ants,
73
pose of teaching occult sciences and other things that would have a
rery wonderful influence upon the people, and so on; that they were
coming to his assistance with money and other aid in the enterprise,
and that he expected to make it a grand success.
WHERE THE MONEY CAME FKOM.
Q. Did he mention who was coming to his aid with money? A.
No, sir; not that I remember. I am not sure about that, however.
Q. Did you ascertain who was supplying him with uoney? A. 1
learned either from him or from some other source, I am nof sure
which, that Mrs. Specht was doing more for him than anybody else.
Q. How does Mr. Joseph Specht stand in the community? A. Mr.
Specht stands as high as any man in the State of Virginia, in my
opinion. I have been quite well acquainted with Mr. Specht since
he introduced himself to me. 1 have done business with him. At
one time I was assignee of the National Hotel, and as such was
running it for a while, and Mr. Specht was stopping there and I
took care of him as a guest. I do not think I exaggerate when I
say that I found him one of the highest-toned men 1 ever met.
Q. Howard was a man who gave you a good opinion of him? A.
Oh! I was carried away with him. He was a man liable to attract
attention, being an extraordinary well-preserved man for his age —
he was older than I am, but he didn't look it. He was a man of
powerful frame, and a man of great conversational powers.
Q. What kind of a disposition had he? A. I thought he was a
man of kindly disposition; that was my impression.
Q. Insinuating in his style? A. Yes, sir.
hi' :
the
rns?
as a
ion?
Not
six
Yen,
pur-
Monday, March 28, 1808.
Mr. Commissioner Thornton and his clerk met at the office of the
Secretary of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the Capitol build-
ing in Richmond, Va., at 10 o'clock a. m., this date, for the purpose
of taking further testimony under tliis commission, no representa-
tive of either the plaintiff or of the defendants appearing
Joseph Lawless, a witness on behalf of the defendantt\ having
been duly sworn, le.stilied as follows:
liy the Commissioner:
Q. riease state your ollicial position, Mr. Lawless? A. 1 am See
retary of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Q. As Secretary of the Commonwealth, have you in your cnstody
the warrants or requisition papers issued by the Governor of \'ir-
ginia on the Governors of other Stntes? A. Under the law T am re-
quired, as Secretary of the Comnioii wealth, to keep on file in my
department all of the executive jjajfers, and have in fact the original
application lujule by the Commonwealth's Attorney for the county
of Fairfax, for a requisition on the (^lovernor of the State of New
York, for Granby Staunton Howard, alias Dr. (i. S. Howard, charged
m
74
in said county of Fairfax witli obtaining money under false pre-
tenses, which requisition was issued on the IGth day of May, 1894.
I hold the original papers in my hand. The application is made by
the Commonwealth's Attorney of Fairfax county, on the strength
of 0 warrant sworn out by Joseph Specht, of the county of Fairfax,
on the 14th day of May, 1894, before John R. Taylor, a justice of the
peace of said county.
THE I'APERS AI.L UE(}ITLAK.
The fvarranl is duly signed by the said John K. Taylor, justice of
the peace, and attested before F. W. Richardson, clerk of the county
court, of the county of Fairfax, under the seal of said county court.
Q. Mr. Lawless, I now hand you what purports to be a certitied
copy, over your own signature, as Secretary of the (Jonnnonwealth
of Virginia", of the warrant, to which you have just referred, sworn
out by Joseph Specht, of said county of Fairfax, before John R.
Taylor, a justice of the peace. Do you recognize your signature,
and is that in fact a certitied copy of said warrant? A. I have ex-
amined the signature alHxed to said certitied copy which you have
just handed me, as well as the copy itself, and do recognize my signa-
ture, and do say that it is a correct copy of the original, to which I
have alluded above.
Q. What is the rule of your deparlmeut as to warrants and rcijui-
sitions being returned to the department to be filed, and do these
documents come within the general rule? A. The documents con-
tain the original signatures of the proper ollicers recpiired under
the law to make application for re(iulsition j)apers. A duplicate
of this warrant accompanied the requisition papers on the (lovernor
of the State of New York, wliich are given to Mr. Joseph Specht for
execution. Those papers have never been returned to this depart-
ment, and are not required under the law to be so returned.
A copy of said api)lication and accompanying papers, duly certi-
fied by the commissioner taking these depositions, is filed herewith.
This completed the evidence taken by the commission, the return
of the commission including the following declaration:
The United States of America, District of Columbia, city of
Washington, in tlie High Court of Justice. Ciranby S. Howard,
plaintifl', vs. Graham & Co., defendants.
I, R, E. Thornton, of Fairfax, in the State of Virginia, one of the
United States of America, counsellor-at-law, do make oath and say:
1. That in execution of the commission directed to me in this case,
I have taken the depositions of witnesses whose names, residences
and additions are as follows: Joseph Specht, gentleman, of Guns
ton Hall, Va.; Rev. Joseph A. Specht, of the city of Washington,
D. C, clerk in holy orders; Aurelius Allan, farmer; William S. Free-
man, farmer; Mary Freeman, his wife; T. F. Chapman, farmer, all
of Gunston, Fairfax county, Va.; John Sheppard, of Accotink, in the
county of Fairfax, Va., fisherman; Henry Strauss, merchant; Cap-
■■•TM«».a(<rf-«iwiP!t!rTfT-^' —• frsrirsp-
76
pre-
S<)4.
i by
lax,
f (he
tain JameB F. Webster, chief of police; JJauner T. Young, police offi-
cer; all of Alexandria, in the county of Alexandria, Va.; Hon. James
M. Love, judge of the county court of the county of Fairfax, Va.;
William Walter Ilaislip, grocer; Charles E. Fliner, detective, and
Horatio Browning, gro(!er, all of Washington, 1). ('.; and of Hon.
Joseph T. Lawless, Hecretary of the Goninionwealth, of Uich-
moud, Va.
2. That before proceeding with the execution of the said com-
mission, I attended before the Hon. Charles C. Cole, one of the as-
sociate justices of the suprenu' court of the District of (Columbia,
who administeit'd to nie the oath required under this conunission,
which oath is hcieto attached.
3. That before jjroceeding with the execution of tin? said commis-
sion, I apiK)int('d Mr. Aaron Johns, of the city of Washington, D. C,
my clerk, and administered to him the oath prescribed by this com-
mission.
4. That in the execution of the said commission I duly aduiinis-
tered the proper oath to each and every one of the witnesses above
named, which oath was so administered before the taking of the
depositions of the said witnesses.
5. That the said depositions were taken down in shorthand by the
said Aaron Jolins, which shorthand was dtily and properly extended
by him, and that the taking down of the said testimony and the ex-
tension theieof in typewriting were truly and correctly done.
6. That I identify the viva voce questions and evidence taken as
those annexed by me to the commission herein, and as being those
which were propounded and given under the said commission.
Subscribed and sworn to before me. this iirst day of Ajjril, A. D.
181)8.
E. F. BINGHAM,
Chief Justice Superior Court, D. C, U. 8. A.
The reading of the commission over, or rather extracts from it,
Mr. Osier suggested tiiat the j)laintilT should have the right to have
any that had been omitted read. Mr. Osier went on to exi)lain that
the plaintiff in the case, Howard, had been examined for discovery,
and some of the evidence then obtained from the plaintilT was inter-
esting by reason of what the plaintiff had to say for himself, and
what he refused to say. Mr. Osier ])roceeded to read extracts from
the examination, which in full read as follows:
n
It
HOWARD'S OWN STORY,
The Plainiiir, Dr. €4. M. Howard, the Hnge of Am and »raa«
Sponsor of the Occidental Order oi the Sat-Bai-Oooha.
In the High Court of Justice. — Between Granby S. Howard,
plaintiff, and Graham & Co., defendants.
Examination of Granby S. Howard, the plaintiff, herein, takem
before me this 2l8t day of January, 1898, pursuant to my appoint-
ment, dated the 17th day of January, 1898.
(Signed) W. L. SCOTT,
Master at Ottawa.
Mr. T. K. Allen, for plaintiff; Mr. W. D. Hogg, Q. C, and Mr. F.
A. Magee, for defendants.
To Mr. Hogg:
Q. You are the plaintiff in this action? A. I am.
Q. Y''ou live at Carleton Place? A. Yes.
Q. How long have you lived there? A. Since the month of Oc-
tober, 1895 or 189G.
Q. That would be less than a year and a half? A. I have been
there over two years — the month of October, 1895.
Q. Whore did you come from to Carleton Place? A. I came from
Kemptville.
77
Q. How long have you lived in Kemptville? A. From August,
1804, to that time in 1895.
Q. And then you went to Carleton Place? A. Yes.
Q. Where were you prior to August, 1894? A. I was in Montreal
from the 24th of May, 1894, until I went to Kemptville.
Q. What was your business in these places? A. In Kemptville
I was part of the time selling agricultural implements. I assisted
another man.
Q. At Carleton Pluco what business were you engaged in? A.
The same as I am now; manufacturing drugs, medicines, etc.
Q. Are you a medical man? A. Yes.
Q. Where did you get your degree? A. I have two or three de-
grees; some in the United States and some at home.
Q. Where is your home? A. In England. I have no degree from
England, but I have degrees from the United States.
Q. What college? The Wisconsin Medical College.
Q. Any other? A. No.
Q. Did you practice the profession of medicines? A. Yes, I have.
Q. Where? A. In Washington and other places.
Q. As a general medical practitioner? A. Yes; specialist more
particularly.
Q. What was the special practice that you followed? A. Nervous
diseases and nose and throat.
Q. When did you come to the United States from England? A.
In 1884, 1 think it was.
Q. Did you come to the United States from England? A. No, sir.
AN ACCIDENT AT QUEBEC.
Q. Where did you come from when you came to the United
States? A. I was traveling witli my wife for a number of years
previous to that, for her health; over the world. We have not been
located for many years. I just crosstni over through the United
States on my way to EngUnd, and met with an accident in Quebec,
and came back to Montreal, and was detained there in 1886 and
went into business there.
Q. Where was your place of residence in England? A. We lived
in the North of England, in the county of Northumberland.
Q. Had you any property there? A. No.
Q. Never had any property there? A. Our people had.
Q. Much property? A. Some little.
Q. What kind of property? A. Some landed property.
Q. You yourself had no property there? A. No.
Q. What family do you belong to of the Howards in the North
of England?
(Objected vo.)
(Master rules that it is a proper question.)
(Witness refuses to answer on advice of counsel.)
Q. W^hen did you come to Fairfax county, Va.? A. I cannot tell
■f»:
I ■
78
you the day of the mouth, ll was some lime, 1 thiuk, in June or
July, 1891.
Q. Had you been in India i)iior (o tliat? A. Yes.
Q. How louj; were you in India? A. 1 cannot say exactly.
Q. I'rior (o your coming' to Fairfax? A. 1 was in Montreal when
1 went to Fairfax.
Q. When was it you were in India? A. After the mutiny and
throuj;li that time.
Q. How lonjj;' were you in India?
(Witness refuses to answer.)
Q. While you wcie in India did you associate yourself with a re-
ligious order of people called ilrahmins?
(Witness refuses to answer.)
Q. You know there is a religious teaching called Brahminism?
A. I do.
Q. Did you become one of the disciples or ai)ostle8 of that re-
ligion?
(Witness refuses to answer.)
Q. When you went to Fairfax, Va., in 18!)1, did you promul-
gate or endeavor to promulgate the teachings of Hrahminism?
A. I would hardly think it could be put in that way. -There was
organized in St. I^ouis in May, 18!)1, a society with that in view, and
I knew and know of the do(!triues, and an arrangement was made
to found an institution of this association at Fairfax, and it was
arranged that 1 should take charge of this institution.
Q. As what? A. As a home for tiie people of this association,
where, when they became old, they might come and live, and where
they might study the philosophy of the East, and the idea was to
get a charter and form an institution to cover all the dififerent fields
of pliilosophy.
Q. What were you to be? A. I was to be at the head.
Q. What was your title as head of it? A. No title at all. It was
not organized into a society having a legal standing in the country.
Q. Did it ever become organized? A. No; it was not chartered.
Q. It was not organized in that sense? A. No; I mean to get a
Congressional chai'ter.
Q. Was this the first time that you had taken up the question
of the philosophy of the East? A. No, sir.
Q. You had been studying this before? A. Yes.
Q. And by the "East" you mean amongst other countries, India?
A. Yes.
Q. W^here you had imbibed some of this philosophy, I suppose?
A. Yes,
Q. This was at St. Louis? The organization was made there.
Q. How did you become acquainted with that organization?
A. The organization was formed while I was at St. Louis.
Q. W^as it through your instrumentality it was formed? A. Yes;
in part. I could hardly claim to be the father of it in that way.
79
re-
re-
Q. Voii were instrumental in promoting it? A. I had nothing to
do with the promotion of 11. r went to Jeil'erson Ciiy and assisted
a friend wlio was to deliver a le(;tiire on Oriental philosophy, and I
delivered llie lecture for him, and I met somo people from St. Louis,
and was asked to come there and be a guest at tlieir house to see
what could he done, hut the things going on in St. Louis have been
going on a number of years, and the matter was put in that shajte.
Q. ^^■hen you met these people ar St. Louis did yon make any rep-
resentati(uis as to your standing among the phiIanthroi)ists? A. No,
sir; I nevei' had anything to do with them.
Q. Did you make any repres<'utalions as lo your being the head
of a religious ordei", having its h.ea(i(|uarlers and council in India?
A. I made representations of nothing of the kind further than in the
course of conversations it was natur;'! to refer to me as lieing the
one that was at the head of it.
Q. Did you tell them yon were the head of a religious order in
India, or which had its heachpiarters in India? A. I cannot remem-
ber having made that statement.
Q. What was the obec i of that order for the dissimilation of
Brahniln-Tndian philosoi)hy? .\. The object of it was to nmke men
live better.
Q. That the IJrahmin-Indian philosophv would make men live
better? A. Yes.
Q. The further object was that thai was to be substituted for the
Christian religion? A. No, sir.
Q. But the object was to establish the Brahmin-Indian philosophy
that would be substituted amongst the people, who took it up for
Christianity? A. I would not understand it in that way.
THIKST KINCJS OF INDIA.
Q. What do you understand by it? A. I understand that the
religion that was spoken of there was as the i liilosophy of the priest
kings of India. They were an old tribunal people of the Kast. and
tlieir religion taught them to ^enerate the one (Jod and to live in the
life that lie had launched ujton the earth, and they have their i)hiloH-
ophies in concMtion with these things, and the.> Itelieve in these
things, and they believe in the Christ, and how there could be any
controversy T do not know.
Q. You did not make these statements, that it was to be a substi-
tute for Christianity? .\. Certainly not. A man in talking of these
things does not put himself on guard, and I do not know how far i-e-
niarks may have been made that could Ix' so used; but this much
I would .say. that in all jtrobabilily the man who would live the life
as taught by these people — the fathers of the race — would tind no
dilTiculty in being (Christians, nor woiild they need to follow any
philosophy.
Q. When you introduced yourself in the way that you have stated,
'V,
wm
80
did you then statft to these people that your title in India was "The
Sage of Aru?" A. No, sir. I will explain. There is in one branch
of Oriental masonry many degrees, nnd the head of each degree has
a certain name given to him, and there is a degree in which the Sage
of Aru is the master of that Chapter.
Q. You occupy that position? A. I did.
Q. You were entitled to be called "Tlie Sage of Aru?" A. I was.
Q. And you told your friends there? A. No, sir. The party who
is Ijrinjring this material wrote from St. Louis to me, through a
friend. I never had Keen them nor did not know anything of them
at all. The letter cauu% and in answering that letter I simply signed
it ''The Sage of Aru," which was right and proper.
Q. Did you make appear that you had been iustruct(MJ by the
Council in India to come to the United States and establish a col-
lege there? A. I do not think that has anything to do with it.
That is a matter of my |)rivate life; I did not make any representa-
rions of that kind.
Q. A college where the philosophy and otliei- learning of the order
might be taught? A. The numagement of that institution is not
inine to convey to anybody; the philosophy is not mine to impart
to anybody, excej)t as I got it. I simply say that for the purpose
of gaining money, or for the purpose of acquiring inlluence, I never
made a representation of that kind.
Q. Were you instructed by your (Jouncil in India to come to the
United States and open a college where the philosophy and learning
might be taught? A. As far as my memory serves me, notiiing
of that kind came up. I do not remember having heard anything
of that.
Q. While yon were tiiere in St. Louis and in the United States
with your colleagues of this philosophy, did you lead them to be-
lieve, or was it a matter that you conveyed to any one that you were
to be tlie next spirit incarnate or tlie leader of the new dispensation?
A. I never did that.
Q. You deny that absolutely? A. Ortainly. I believe just ex-
actly this, that every man who has the breath of life in him and the
spirit of (J«m1. can become associated as Jesus tells his people to be,
and we do not claim any new philosophy but that.
Q. .\.s I understand you, went to Fairfax in June or July, 1891;
wh(-re did you go to fronj Fairfax? A. Montreal.
Q. fn Montreal you had been for some years carrying on the busi-
ness of manufacturing medicines? A. Yes.
Q. What did you go to Fairfax for? A. On a written invitation
of Mr. Joseph Specht, with a view to purchasing property for the
institution.
Q. You went there and met him? A. Yes, sir.
Q. Then you made not only the acquaintance of Mr. Specht, but
his family? A. I met his family in St. Louis In the month of May,
1S9L
SI
Q. ll;ul von iiimc Icick to .M<inlr('iil in (1m' inoantinic? A. ^'cs.
ii Alter voii hail hccu in St. Louis? A. I wcnl to .K'llVrson City
and we returned tf> St. Louis at llio request of the Si»e(;ht's, and
wejil to their Inuise as liu'ir ^uest. 'I'iieii al'ier we .<;'>t liirou^ih with
tlu' business in St. L(uiis, I iciurned to my , oine in Montreal to j;o
on in my business, not Uiiowin;;- whether anythinj; was ^'oin^ to eonie
of this nuiiter. iind the iicvi iliinn; \v;)s a letlei- from the S]»ceht'8
to meet then) in \'ir^inia to look after this property that they were
talkin^^ of buyin<;' at (lunsion.
ii. Ytm w<'re a j,'uest at their house? A. Ves, sir.
Q. \\ hen you went bac'k in July or Au{;u.st? June or July.
DOWN IN Old) VriKUNNY.
Q. Wlien you went back to St. Louis, you were their jjuest at
Ounston? A. They had just bought the pr()i)erty.
(i. You were there? A. I think a day.
Q. Was the family there? A. \o. only Mr. Speeht and hi8 wife.
On.? of tiie sons was liviu};- with me in Montreal at the time.
Q. NN'hirh was? A. Joseph Speeht.
<i. Ls his name .Joseph. A. Joseph A.
(^ \Nas he with you at Fairfax? A. Not till afterwards.
Q. In June or July you went down there to Fairfax and you met
Mr. md Mrs. SjH'cht? A. Yes.
Q Wh;i( 'V"l you do? A. We looked over tlio situation and saw
about the land, etc., that they were purchasiujj:, and 1 think there
wa.s nothin<4 done and I came home. The arrangements to pur-
chase the property were made tlien or later; 1 think later.
Q. When did yo!i fjo back to Fairfax? A. I think the hitter part
of Auj^usl I vveiit down.
Q From that out where did you reside? A. 1 went down to
Virginia and went over to meet Mr. Joseph Speeht.
Q. You went back in August? A. I think so.
Q. And from that lime out, until you left again, where did you
reside? A. I re."ided at (lunston. I think it was about the first of
September I went down.
Q. Did you remain there or reside there until you left again in
1KJ)4? A. Yes, we resided there. The family moved down late
in the autumn that we got our buildings in shape that we erected
in (junston.
Q. What is Ounston — a village? A. It is an estate. that was
owned by the Masons, It was nam(»d by a Mason who was the
owner of it. I think they came from (Junston, England.
Q. You erected soine buildings there? A. Yes, sir; on the estate
that had been divided up. It had been sold in parcels and I made
arrangenu'nts to buy one of them.
Q. And upon that parcel you built the buildings you speak of?
A. Yes.
HI
r
8
J' 'I
f^
82
^
^
(>. What becaino of Guuston Hall? A. That was bought b^' the
Speehts.
Q. And oci'ui»ied as a rosidence? A. Yes.
Q. Did Mr. Joseph ISpecht leave St. Louis at that time? A. Lie
used to be carryiu;;- on business in St. Louis and in the fall of 181)1
his property burnt out in St. Louis, and then he went out of busi-
ness and moved to \'irj;iuia some time in the followinj,^ .year — 181)2.
il. ilut in the meantime, before he j^ave up business, his wife
and children were living; ;il (Junslon liall? A. They were livinj; iit
St. Louis. The.v lived at (Junston Uall pernmneutly in the summer
of 181)11. I remember they brought their filrniture down on the boat.
Q. In 181)4 it was a family residence? A. Yea.
(i. Did Jos( ph Specht from that time out live at Gunston Dall?
A. Most of the time. Some time he would have to go away on
business.
Q. What did his family consist of? A. There was himself and
his wife, and tiieir family consists of two sons and two daughters.
One of the dau«;hters and the two sons were then unmarried, and
part of the time they were there and part of the tinu' they were
not there. Their relationship with their father had been strained
for a number of years. Josejih and his father used to (luurrel. lie
came to Montreal to avoid the wratli of his father and they got him
out of tlu> house and got him a ticket and sent him to Montreal.
Q. The family consisted of two sons and two daughters? A. Yes;
bu. they were not all living there.
Q. There was one daughter nmrried? A. Yes, and lived in St.
Louis.
Q. And the other daughter? A. Is still with her father. She
is about fourteen.
Q. There was another son, did you know him? A. Yes.
Q. What was his name? A. Edward.
Q. What did you do in Virginia or Fairfax during the time yoa
lived there? A. I was doing anything that came to hand. 1 car-
ried on tlie place and tried to build it up, and 1 practiced my profes-
sion in Washington city.
Q. Ilow far is this place from Washington? A. About eighteen
miles.
Q. You were a good deal in Washington and sometimes in Gun-
ston IXall? A. Yes. I went to Washington two or three times a
week, and we had a snuiU piece of ground that we cultivated, and
we got a larger piece on lease and we were carrying that on.
Q. You were li.'ing close to Gunston Hall and you were intimate
with the family of Sj)echts? A. Yea; neighborly: Under the con-
ditions we were perhaps more intimate as we were the only asso-
ciates living there.
Q. Going back to the question of your religions teaching — were
the Spechta followers of your views— did they belong to the order?
A.
83
m
wife
'*'■ ijt
[all?
OD
St.
MRS. SPECHT A MEMBER.
A. Mrs. Spocht wuh a moinlicr, the husband was not.
Q. Was slii' a dcvolctl nicnihcr of tin* tlioory and tearliinp? A. I
would not sa.v that she was devoted. She was not as devoted at
that time as she was when her trouble came between her and her
husband.
Q. Did .you teaeh her the jthilosoph.v? A. Yes, the same as I
would to anybody else.
Q. Von did exjtlain and teach the ^thilosophy of your order to
her? A. Yes.
Q. AVas she a person who was receptive of that kind of teaching?
A. Not more so than others.
Q. Was she enthusiastic and took an Interest? A. Certainly.
Q. In the doctrines which you and she believed in? A. Yes.
Q. ^^'hal did tic husband say about this? A. lie was as much in-
terested as anybody, ajtparently.
Q. lie did not, as you say, become a member of the order? A.
No, sir. It recjuires a dillerent kind of life than what the man lived.
Q. Then in connection with that does the member require to take
any oaths or pled^ics or nnike declarations? A. No. nothing more
than to take the pledge as in any other matter. A word of honor
would be sufficient.
Q. There are no oaths? A. No. There are forms of ceremonies of
initiation. It is no more complicated than it would be in an ordi-
nary temperan«'e society, simply a stat(»ment of what your faith is.
Q. In joininf; the order, Mrs. Specht, I suppose, made her state-
ments, or the statements were made to her to which she agreed to
abide by? A. There is no pledge of that kind.
Q. What ia there? A. She did not have any relationship in
connection with this order business. She had no position that was
diff'erent from anybody else. There was a meeting held in their
house in St. Louis. I was present at that meeting. There was a
communion at which we who were desirous of living the life that
we thoup'ht was advisable. There was no special arrangement for
her or anybo^ly els(\
Q. She was one of tliem? A. Yes.
Q. This was prior to their going to Ounaton Hall to live. A.
Yes.
Q. It was at her house that the meeting took place? A. Yes.
They invited others to come and be present.
Q. Were they all women? A. They were all women that were
present at that time.
Q. There were men who belongcnl to it? A. Yes. There were
not so many women as men, but the men had nothing to do with
that part of the businesA.
Q, Was that the time at which yon would say she became con-
verted to the teachings of the order? A. There was no change; no
conversion. She simply agreed with the others to live a life of
U':
I
M
I
I
i:
absolute purity and truth; to follow the precepts of truth and right-
eousness in Jill wa.ys, and that is all the pledge tiiere is about it.
(2. What was the elleit on Mrs. Speeht so far as your observa-
tions went. Did she follow out the doctrines? A. Yes, as all
people do in (Jhrisiianil y or any other teachings. They sometimes
feel very enthusiast ii- and sonw'times they doubt.
ii. What was Mrs. Specht's position about that. Was she
devoiedV A. Yes, fairly so. Sh»' made an I'Ifort to live the life
and she lived it more au^! more; she became more and more devoted
to it.
Q. From that time out, in the autumn of 1891, or beginning of
1S1)2, when they came to (iunston Mall to live, in regard to the
teachings of your order; you followed that uj), too? A. Yes. There
was no church near by, and each Sunday we would have a little
meeting among ourselves. Yes; there was no church near by.
Q. At Gunston? A. Yes.
Q. Who furnished the money to build those buildings and do that
work? A. Mrs. Joseph Speeht.
Q. How much did she furnish? A. Five thousand dollars.
Q. Anything else? A. There were times when she gave us dif-
ferent things.
Q. What were some of the things she gave? A. For instance,
around their place they had a great deal of fruit and difiPerent
things that we did not have, and that was sent down when she felt
like sending it.
Q. Did she hand over any jewels? A. She had some jewels that
she had been trying for a number of years to dispose of.
Q. Earrings? A. A brooch and two earrings.
Q. What did she do with them? A. She had given them to dif-
ferent parties to sell and she could not dispose of them.
Q. Did she give them to you. A. She gave them to me to Bell
for the work.
Q. Did you sell them? A. Yes.
Q. How much did you get for them. A. Between four and Ave
hundred dollars.
Q. Was that all the money yon got in connection with this work
from her?
Onh
t I
i'll
THE PLAINl IFPS POSITION IN THE MYS=
TERIOUS ORDER.
Only One of the Viasya Caste Could Relieve Him of His
Financial Work.
HOWARD'S VICTIMS. PLACED IN THE BOX AS WITNESSES,
DID NOT KNOW THERE WAS AN ORDER.
Perth, Ain-il 28. — A feature of the evidence m the big libel suit
was the amount of ignoranee displayed by lloward's friends in his
mysterious order. Some interesting revelations regarding the nevr
Philosophy of the Priest Kings of India were expected when Mra.
Kpecht, Mrs. Allen and Mrs. Morrey were placed in the box, but
these witnesses evinced the greatest care to prevent any informa-
tion regarding the order to be revealed. They identilied some
exhibits, however, while abundantly demonstrated the species of
mummery Howard indulged in.
The reading of the evidence of Howard, the plaintiff, taken in
the examination for discovery, continu«'d as follows:
HOVVAUD'S REdTTLAK STIPEND.
A. No. There was a regular stipend of |25 a month that waa
given.
Q. That she gave? A. Yes.
Q. What was done with the f5,fl0()? A. The 15,000 was expended
in the founding of the work as far as that v/ent, and in keeping the
things together and living until we left Virginia.
Q. You got the $5,000, and you expended it? A. Yes, certainly.
Q. You expended it in living and gettings things for your home
there? A. Yes. There were others living with us.
Q. What do you mean by others? A. The members of the order.
Q. Many of them? A. Sometimes there would be two or three,
mostly always somebody there.
Q. And the money was devoted in part to their keep? A. Yea.
and for getting property around that would be useful in the future
for the institution.
Q. How long was it after your acquaintance with Mrs. Specht
that this 15.000 was paid? A. We became acquainted In May, I
think, and T returned to Montreal and the matter was written abunt
M
^
I)
I
I
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4
and talked about, and then they sent for me to come down to Vir-
ginia to see them on the matter, and all this time, of course, it was
supposed that her $11,000 and other money would come in, and
things were talked of in that way.
Q, About what time was it then that the money was actually
handed over? A. In August I think there wa« $1,000, and in Sep-
tember I think the balance was given.
Q. Was it sent to Montreal? A. No.
Q. It was paid over when you got there? A. It was given me
in drafts on St. Louis.
Q. After you got there? A. Yes, but the agreement to give it
was made when I was in Montreal.
Q. Was it a condition precedent to your going there that you were
to get this? A. Certainly, There was no other inducement to take
uie there. I broke up my home and went down there, knowing I
would have to depend on my exertions to make a living. Mr. and
Mrs. Specht carried it on
Q. The letters were in correspondence with whom? A. With Mr.
and Mrs. Joseph Specht.
Q. llow long did you live in Virginia after that? A. From 1891
to 1894.
Q. And you left in May, 181)4? A. Yes.
Q. About what date? A. On the 11th of May, 1894.
Q. Where? did you go? A. Mr. Specht, Mrs. Specht, Mrs. Howard
and myself went to Washington city on the 11th of May.
Q. Where did you go from there? A. To New York.
Q. And then? A. To New Jersey.
Q. And then? A. To Montreal.
Q. When did you arrive in Montreal?
of Mav,
Q. Were you alone? A. I was alone,
ington.
Q. When did you leave Washington?
12th of May — Saturday nigh I.
Q. When did you arrive in New York?
Q. When did you leave New York? A.
ward from New York to Jersey until tho 22nd or 2I?rd— the after
noon on the 2.'ird I left.
Q. At the time you left Fairfax and Washington what were your
relations with the Specht family? A. The same as before.
Q. When you left Washington? A. The only trouble I knew of
was with Specht. The ])osition was this: Mrs. Specht owned Gun-
stnn TTall, and Joseph Specht wanted to get possession of it, and
wanted to got the title of it witliout giving her any consideration,
find she would not do it as she wanted an income from it on which
<o live, nnd he would not give it. so she would not give up the tille.
Fie issued a writ of lunacy and then subpoenaed me as a witness, and
her lawyer rame to me and told me that the best thing for her, so
as to give them time to delay the hearing, was to ge»t out of the
A. The night of the 24th
My wife was in Wash-
A. On the nighl of the
A. The next morning.
I was backward and for-
juiisdictioL ol the court, so that tbey could not serve me with
the subpoeuu, and at liis rtMjuest 1 did so.
Q. What did you go to Washington for? A. They were iu the
habit of going up and down tlie same as we were.
Q. You were just going up and you met accidentally? A. We
had to go on the same boat.
Q. There was no preconcerted arrangement about going up? A,
Not that I know of. Probably we had spoken of it, but each of ua
had his own business to attend to.
Q. These discussions and this trouble took place in Washington,
and what side did you take? A. I had nothing to do with it.
Q. How did you know all about it — that one wanted the title,
etc.? A, Thai is subsetjuent knowledge.
Q. You did not know at llu- tinie? A. ^'o, sir.
Q. You all discussed (his together? A. No, sir. He locked his
wife in a room in the hotel while he sent out to get the papers made
out to get himself made trustee. J did not know anything about it
at that time. The girl at the hotel went to in^iuire why she did not
come down, and she said ."^lie was lorked iu, and the girl opened the
door and she came out and went to my wife- room and told me the
circumstances and I got a lawyer to take care of her interests, and
when Mr. Specht came down with his papers to take her in charge
as a lunatic, she was not there— her lawyer had taken her away.
Q. You left, too, the same day? A. Yes, the same night.
Q. You left your wife in Washington? A. Yes.
Q. What did Specht say? A. I do not know, sir; I did not see
him.
Q. Did lie not .say anything about issuing a warrant against you?
A. Never heard of it.
WIJV in: WENT TO montukal.
(2. You did not know he had issued a warrant? A. No, sir; I do
not know yet that he has.
Q. That was on the night of the 12th of May? A. Yes. We
came to Washington on the 11th and on the 12th I left. The 13th
I was in New York and remained until the 23rd.
(^ You left for the simple purpose of being away so that you
could not be called as a witness? A. Yes. The lawyer told me it
would be necesary for me to do that.
Q. And you remained away ever since? A. Yes. I had noth-
ing to go back for. There was nothing there for me to do, and
I went right back to Montreal and went into business.
Q. You went into business in Canada? A. Yes, sir. I had
broken that business tip to go there at their request, and I came
back here and took tip my lines where I laid them down.
Q. You did not know anything about the warrant being issued?
A. I did not know and do not know yet.
Q. You were informed after you got to Montreal that there was
w
>s
■¥>
u warruiU ibsued. A. 1 do not thiuk ho. 1 did not have auy knowl-
edge ol it.
(I. 1 iliink ^011 Kaid no iu an interview to a newHpaper man? A.
I said 1 Avatj tlicre if iie liad an.vtliing to do; be tlireatened me.
Q. Who? A. Siurlil.
(l \\ lull did lie do tlial? A. lie kept on doing it lor a long
time,
Q. N\ htii did lie iMumiience to do that? A. After 1 got to Canada,
il. \ oil did not know anylhni;; about i( liefore that? A. No.
Q. You did not know there waH a warrant issued against you on
the lotii? A. No, 1 did not.
(J. Vou did not know (lieiv was another issued on the llth? A.
No; do not know it yet.
(2. Did .voii know lliat I lie (Jovernor of Virginia sent up word to
the Governor of New York to look after you? A. Never heard of it
until this niinut(\
Q. You did not know that on the l.'Uli there was a warrant in the
hands of the constable to arrest you? A. No, certainly not.
Q, Did you know it was going to happen? A. No.
Q. Mr. Specht did not tell you anything about that. A. No. I
never saw Mr. Specht after he had the row with bis wife.
Q. You did not know anything with reference to what took place
between the authorities of the two countries with reference to yonT
A. No, and I do not yet.
thini
(()
reiiic
HOWARD HAD AN ALIAS.
Q. There was a time in Montreal when you were known as Wil-
son? A. My lawyer in Washington said to nie: "So that we may
communicate with each other and have no trouble you bad better
take the name of Wilson.
Q. Who was your lawyer? A. Sprague, of Washington.
Q. He said you had better take the name of Wilson? A. Yes.
Q. And you went under the name of Wilson how long? A. Not
very long, because half the people of Montreal knew me. I cannot
tell how long.
Q. During the time you were in the United States after the 12th,
jou went by the name of Wilson until you reached Montreal? A.
No, but my letters were directed to Wilson.
Q. Then when you got to Montreal, of course, it wasn't necessary
to have an assumed name? A. Only to get my mail.
Q. And that dropped out after a time? A. Certainly.
Q. You remained in Montreal a short time after yon got there?
A. Yes, a couple of months.
Q. Yon were working? A. 1 did not do anything in business
that time.
Q. Were you not in communication with the people in Washing-
ton, your lawyer, and others, up to that time? A. Yes.
Q. To see how things were jSfoing? A. Yes.
89
A.
the
A. No.
A, 1 do not
A. 1 do not
Q. You were iufonncd Huii ;i wariaiil wjis issued?
Q. You Wi'ic inl'oiiik'd Uy yowi law.vor« lliert* was?
think so.
(Objected to.)
il \o\i did not know aiivlhiii^' ahout it that time?
reincuiber.
tj. Ill the mauv (•ouniMiiiicalioiis you had both by letter and tele-
KHun with your hiwyer, you luiisl have heard somethinj; about the
warrant? A. 1 reeeived a foi';;ed leltj,nain.
(2. Was it a fact that you did not know anytliinj,' about a warrant
when you were in Montreal for these two months? A. I do not
know that that ever came to my knowledge in any way. 1 know
there has been talk about it.
Q. When you were in Ahuitreal you knew about the article you
romplain of now? A. I did not see that.
Q. Why didn't you bring your action sooner? A. I did not know
the article was there to be complained of.
WHY THIS DKLAY.
Q. Why did you delay the action so long; it is three and a half
years before you commenced your action? A. I did not see the
article until this year. iu)t to my knowledge.
Q. How did you happen to see it so long after? A. In clearing
out a room where there was a number of papers that Star wa«
found. There was a number of papers there.
Q. And you saw the article? A. Yes.
Q. Did you feel that you were suffering under it at that time?
A. A man would naturally suffer anyway.
Q. You felt that you were suffering after three and a half years
from an article written in June, 1894? A. I know of that in a
way, because shortly after that, I think it was, one of our young
people said that somebody had brought a Star to their house
wrapped around a parcel, and they wanted to know if that was the
tame man,
Q. When you left Washington on the night of the 12th of May,
18fl4, you left Mrs. Specht and your wife there? A. No, they were
both away at the lawyer's house.
Q. And you went off without seeing them? A. No, I paw them
the last thing.
Q. Did you leave them at the lawyer's? A. Yes, I left my wife
there. They were on visiting terms, and we were up there taking
tea when he told me the subpoena was out.
Q. What did Mrs. Specht do? A. The ca^e was brought up in
court and eventually thrown out, and she went back to Gunston
Hall. I am speaking from hearsay.
Q. Do you know where she lives now? A. At Carleton Place.
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Q. How long? A. For over a year.
Q. Living at Carleton Place? A. She boards at the hotel and
has rooms at our place.
Q. How long has she been there with you? A. Since June or July
a year ago.
Q. It will be two years in June since she came there? A. Yes.
Q. How does she get the means to live? A. By the lawsuit she
got a consideration of |1,8U0 a year for life, secured by bonds ov by
stocks in exchange for Guuston Hall, for her title to Gunston Hall.
Q. From whom? A. From her husband.
Q. And she went to live in Carleton Place? A. She went Lo dif-
ferent places, and she found she had no place to live, and she tele-
graphed to my wife if she could come and live with her, and she
came, and there she remains.
Q. Did you know anything about the further proceedings that
were taken after you left Washington against you? A. I know ot
no proceedings against me.
Q. Did you know that indictments had been laid against you in
Fairfax county? A. The grand jury had found an indictment.
Q. True bills against you on indictments? A. I do not know.
I have nothing but a telegram that an indictment had been found.
Q,. You did not know that until you were telegraphed? A. Noj
certainly not. It did not occur until the 5th of August.
Q. There seems to have been some bad feeling existing between
you and Joseph Specht? A. Nothing more than the fact that I had
baffled him in putting his wife in the asylum.
Q. That was all? A. As far as I know.
Q. There was no feeling of that kind prior to that? A. No, sir.
Q. Did you know anything about his efforts to get Gunston Hall
prior to your coming to Washington on the 11th of May, 1894?
A. I do not think I did, I do not think it came up in that way.
The only thing I know of before that that would bear upon the sub-
ject was ne and I were fishing one day and he »aid to me that his
wife was very erratic, she wanted to get an income or something
of that kind, and he didn't know what to do.
Q. How long was that before you went to Washington? A. I
think it was in the autumn previous; I do not know.
Q. Was that talked over between you and Mrs. Specht at all after
that; did she come to you with her trouble? A. No; I do not think
so, not to me; she may have talked to my wife.
Q. W^hen you left Washington had you any communication with
Joseph Specht? A. No; I had not seen him from the morning
after he had a row with his wife I did not see anything of him.
Q. Had you a house and furniture at Gunston? A. Yes.
Q. That you left? A. Yes.
Q. Just as it was? A. I expected to be back in a few days.
Q.
Q. 1
Q.
I did
Q.
men if"-
Q.
witho
Q.
not gc
how 1
there
fire, a
Q.
Q.
Wash:
Q.
No.
Q.
1
91
WHY HE DIDN'T GO BACK.
Q. Why didn't you go back? A. They took everything.
Q. How did you know? A. Through my wife.
Q. You did not stay away because there was a warrant? A. No;
I did not know there was one.
Q. But that was all thrown aside in a very short time? A. In a
few days.
Q. And why didn't you go back then? A. Because everything
had been wrecked and torn to pieces through the agency of the
Spechts. My lawyer was ieft in charge of it, and he made arrange-
mentr' to take care of it.
Q. They got a very bad feeling against you all at once? A. Yes;
without a cause, I think.
Q. You could have gone back in two or three days; but you did
not go back? A. It went through the whole year. I do not know
how many days it was, but I came on to New York, and from
there I went to Canada, because, as I tell you, things were hanging
fire, and there was nothing for me to do down there.
Q. You know Alexandria, Virginia? A. Yes.
Q. How far is that from Fairfax? A. I think eight miles from
Washington, and probably twelve miles on down to Gunston.
Q. You did not know that a warrant was issued there also? A.
No.
Q. One at Fairfax and one at Alexandria? A. No.
I hereby certify the foregoing to be a true copy of the examina-
tion of Granby S. Howard, the plaintiff herein, taken before me on
the 21st day of January, 1898, pursuant to my appointment dated
the 17th day of January, 1898.
(Signed) W. L. SCOTT,
Dated, January 26th, 1898. Master at Ottawa.
^m
i ■
i
HOWARD'S FIRST WITNESS.
Mrs. Allen Called by the PlaintiflF.
HER HUSBAND NOT IN SYMPATHY WITH THE
ORDER.
Considered Howard Her Teacher and Master to a Certain
Extent— Admitted She gave Him Hundreds of Dollars-
Mrs. Specht's Testimony— Philosophical Studies.
Mr. Osier auuouuced that that completed the case for the defense,
aud the iuterest of those iu court was roused to a high pitch when
Mr. Latchford called Mrs. Allen as the first witness in rebuttal, and
that lady left her place alongside of the plaintiff to take her place
iu the witness box.
The spectators in court expected that the first witness in rebuttal
would be the plaintiff; the defense sincerely hoped that it would
be, but rather doubted it. When Mrs. Allen was sworn she gave
her name as Mrs. Mary T. Allen, of the city of New York, in the
State of New York, in the [Inited States of America,
Examined by Mr. Latchford, for the plaintiff, she said that she
had first met Howard and the Spechts in St. Louis, where she lived
at the time Howard was there. She did not remember whether any
plans for the future Were discussed at the first meeting between
herself and Mrs. Specht with Howard. She thought that the matter
was first mentioned a few days after this first meeting. Mrs.
Specht and witness had for a long time worked for various cha'*-
itable and educational organizations in the city of St. Louis. They
had been accustomed to raise money for various organizations and
other charitable and educational objects. Both of them had been
deeply interested in Dr. Howard's philosophy, and tried their beat
to promote it. They had, previous to meeting Dr. Howard, taken
much interest in this very matter of Eastern philosophy. Mrs.
Specht held a very splendid position socially in St. Louis, and was
thought a great deal of. Witness had taken part in various con-
versations between Mr. and Mrs. Specht and Dr. Howard, the con-
versations turning on the question of the advisability of establish-
ing an institution for the study and development of the Eastern
philosophy. The matter was discussed many times, and nearly
always in the presence of Mr. Specht. While talking the matter
over ai
she ha(
erty an
deacon
lishmei
Witues
there u
unders
While
and Mr
showed
She
it was
the new
that H(
to Mr. {
inspecti
it was (
at Guns
frequen
Gunstoi
building
appeare
express*
Then
reading
The witi
and ans
ter of fi
could b(
Q. Y(
the Uni
came th
ful into:
Q. Y
Q. Tl
considei
Q. So
order tc
Q. Y
simple.
•Q. 01
gang,"
with th
Q. Tl
away fi
93
over and discussing ways and means, Mrs. Specht explained that
she had realized or was about to realize on some of her own prop-
erty and proposed to make a douation of !|1(),()()0 of it, one-half to a
deaeon-sses' home at St. Louis, llie other half toward the cslab-
lishment of the institution in connretion with Dr. Howard's work.
Witness lived in St. J.ouis in 18!)1, and the present plaintiff lived
there until some time in the last of ^May in that year. Witness
understood that Howard luid ^one from St. Louis to Mont real.
While Howard was away witness had many discussions with Mr.
and Mrs. Specht about Dr. Howard aud his work, and both of them
.showed a general desire to aid in the work.
She knew, she testified, all about the Gunston Hall purchase, for
it was her own suggestion that the property should be secured for
the new home. A friend of hers had the refusal of it. She thought
that Howard had been present when she had made the suggestion
to Mr. and Mrs. Specht. The two latter went East with a view to
inspecting the property to see if it was suitable for the home, and
it was eventually purchased in the summer of 1891. Witness was
at Gunston the following year. She staid there a few weeks and
frequently saw Howard, who was living on a little property close to
Gunston Hall. She saw him at work, erecting buildings, several
buildings. He was constantly engaged in such work. Mr. Specht
appeared to be favorably impressed with Howard and his work. He
expressed no dissatisfaction, at any rate.
WHOLESALE CONTRADICTIONS.
Then Mr. Latchford took up the evidence of the commission, and
reading from the bulky volume, put some interesting questions.
The witness blushed a trifle, put on a superior and very taking smile
and answered without the least particle of hesitation. As a mat-
ter of fact the answers were frequently given before the question
could be put.
Q. You heard the reading of the evidence taken in this case in
the United States? asked the learned counsel. A. Yes; promptly
came the reply, with a significant smile, and a well calculated, scorn-
ful intonation of voice.
Q. You heard Mr. Joseph Specht's evidence? A. Yes.
Q. That you were one of Dr. Howard's victims? A. I never
considered myself a victim.
Q. So mdch so that you had run away from your husband in
order to join Howard? A. False.
Q. Your husband objected . A. It's a falsehood, pure and
simple.
IQ. Objected to you having anything to do with "Howard and his
gang," as he called them? A. My husband was not in sympathy
with the order, but it was not so broadly put as that.
Q. The evidence given by Mr. Specht continues: "But she ran
away from her husband and came to where Howard lived, down
wr
94
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1.
near Gunston, and said to him that she had left her husband, that
she wanted to live with him " A. Another lie.
Q. "Wanted to be his wife " A. Lie aji;ain.
Q. "And he said that he already had a wife; but she said,
your order you can take just as many wives as you want
false.
'Under
A. All
A. A
Q. "Afterwards Allen came down and took her back?''
monstrous lie.
Q. You know Mr. 8pecht? A. Yes (with a scornful look).
To further questioning witness stated that she visited the Speehts
and Howards at Gunston again in 1892 and in 189o. She often saw
Dr. Howard at work. She once saw him ploughing. He was en-
gaged in intellectual work constantly. Mr. Specht's interest in
the work remained up to 1898. and when witness left Gunston was
still devising ways and means to further the work.
Then Mr. Osier took hold of the witness fc' a little cross-exam-
ination.
Q. You are an enthusiastic admirer of Dr. Howard, apparently?
A. I don't know.
Q. Well, you are enthusiastic about his work, apparently? A. I
hope so.
Q. You hope so? A. Yes.
Q. He is your Tiord and Master, that is what you call hitn, isn't
it? A. No.
Q. He is your teacher? A. Yes.
Q. Your leader? A. Yes.
Q. Your master? A. To a certain extent.
Q. Oh, only to a certain extent? A. Yes.
Q. You help him all you can? A. Yes.
Q. And you have helped him all you can? A. Yes.
HOW MUCH MONEY.
Q. How much money have you given him? A. Don't know.
Q. Many thousands? A. No.
Q. A few thousands? A. No.
Q. Hundreds? A. Yes.
Q. Well, let us hear how many hundreds? A. Don't know.
Q. Well, you gave all you could. A. Yes.
Q. Did you have any statement as to how the money was spent?
A. No ; I never asked for one.
Q. And one was never offered, of course? A. No.
Q. What was done with this money? A. It went to the work.
Q. What work? A. Dr. Howard's work.
Q. How do you know? A. It went to the work of the order.
Q. It went to him. You gave the money to him, now, didn't you?
A. Yes.
Q. And that is all you know about it? (No response.)
95
Q. You got no receipt or acknowledgment from Howard for your
money? A. I never asked for any.
Q. What was the largest sum you ever gave to Howard? A. Don't
know. ^
Q. Yon gave all you could afford, at any rate? A. Yes.
Q. Was the Specht's a happy home prior to 1891? A. 1 did not
know them very well.
Q. Well, when yon first knew them? A. They appeared to be
rather unhappy.
Q. Mr. Spee'nt was a kind, good husband and father? A. I did
not think so.
Q. He could not live uj) to your high East standard? A. (With
an amused smile, but with some emphasis) No.
Q. Now, tell us something about this mysterious order of yours.
It is part and parcel of some Brahmin-Indian religion, isn't it?
A. It is a Brahmo-Indian societv.
Q. And perhaps you can tell us something about these elemen-
tals we have heard so much about in the evidence? A. No.
Q. You do not know what an elemental is? A. No.
Q. And you have spent all this time studying under Dr. Howard?
A. No.
Q. It is not something attached to the astral bodies at any rate, is
it? A. I don't know.
Q. So you know as little about the elementals as you do about
what became of the money you gave Howard? A. Well, I have
read about them in various philosophies.
Q. Then will you please tell us what they are and something
about them, so that we shall know them when we see them? A. I
can't.
Q. Dr. Howard is a very important man in your order, is he
not? A. Yes.
Q. What is his title? A. Do not know
Q. Well, what position does he hold in the order? A. Don't
know.
Q. Now, I am very curious about this order. What is its organ-
ization? A. I don't know.
Q. You have rituals and signs, I suppose? A. I don't know.
KNOWS ONE SIGN.
Q. Well, I don't want you to give me the signs and secrets, but
how do you recognize one another when you meet, for instance? A.
I know of one sign.
Q. Only one? A. Yes.
Q. And who gave it? A. Dr. Howard.
Q. Well, I think he was very mean to give you only one. Do
they have degrees in the order? A. No.
Q. You have heard it stated in the evidence that Howard made
9(;
'?•«
r.
the flaiiu tliut ho bad 170 (loj-Tc'es, 1 .suppos-e? A. I don't know
of tlicni.
il At any rate, you follow Dr. Howard, and I snpjiosc (iiat while
at (lunston^vou went to attend the servies In the Temple? A. Yes.
Q. And did Howard act as lli};h Priest (I was j>()in«;' to say
rTl««h Coekalornm)? A. Dv. Howard olliciated.
(i. Your husband is not in symi)athy with Dr. Howard and his
work. A. Ko. He is not in sympathy with any religious move-
ment.
il Did he remonstrate with you? A. No.
Q. Then all I can say is that he treated you remarkably well.
Emma E. H. Specht, wife of Mr. Joseph Specht, of Gunston Hall,
Va., was the next witness called in rebuttal.
Examined by Mr. Latehford, she stated that she lived in St. Louis
in 1891, having lived there from 18G8. Her family life had not been
very happy, her husband being unsteady. Two years after her
marriage, namely in 1870, her husband failed in business, and she
had sold her bridal presents and other property of her own to help
him to start up in business again. Her husband succeeded with
her assistance, she writing all of his advertisements and otherwise
helping. She mentioned, as an example of her shrewd business,
apparently, that she had made |15,000 out of a real estate invest-
ment, which she had entered into on her own account. She also
mentioned that she had written a novel. (It was a sort of theo-
sophical production, something after the Blavatsky order, and
plates, books, copyrights, and everything else connected with it
were committed to the deep waters of the Potomac, with becoming
solemnity, by Mr. Specht, who was careful to well ballast the sacks
in which the books were placed with stones.) She had always been
interested in philosophical studies, and her novel had treated of
philosophical subjects. Col. Celsus Price had been a friend of hers,
and when he and Dr. Howard arrived in St. Louis and began lec-
turing and writing on philosophical subjects, she invited them to
her house. Col. Price and Dr. Howard were guests of witness and
her husband's for three weeks. Dr. Howard's philosophy and plans
appealed to her, as she thought it would benefit her eldest son, it
being intended that he should have a place in the new institution.
Dr. Howard was then residing in Montreal. Out of the proceeds of
her property she took $5,000 for Gunston Hall, and |5,000 for the
proposed home, the whole with the consent of Mr. Specht. Dr.
Howard bought property near Gunston Hall in May, 1894, and
began the work of establishing his home. He treated people there
as a physician, and carried on his educational work. He also held
regular "Bible readings," at which Mr. Specht was almost con-
stantly in attendance for a whole year in 1893, and a part of 1894.
Mr. Specht had never expressed any dissatisfaction with Howard's
work until he had insisted that witness should sign over to him all
97
right to Gunstou Hall and Bea Venue, and she had refused. Mr.
Specht was very extravagant, and wanted to squander money on
improvements to the property. The trouble began a month or ho
after the purchase of the property in Virginia, and terminated in
1894 in the getting out of a petition in lunacy against witness by
her husband. This was May 12th, 1894. Witness emphatically
denied the commission evidence, so far as the mysterious character
of Howard and his work was concerned. In fact, denying para-
graph after paragrapli of the testimony as quickly as it could be
read to her by Mr. Latchford, with perfect sang-froid, the mono-
syllable "false" coming witli parrot-like regularity. She swore
positively that she had never heard Howard represent himself as an
ex-M. P., a baron, a colonel of cavalry, an Indian prince, nor any-
thing else of the kind. Sprague, Howard's Washington attorney,
first iold her that Dr. Howard had left the United States. He toid
her that now that Howard had left it would be impossible for Mr.
Specht to win the lunacy case. It was Si)rague who advised Dr.
Howard to leave. In the lunacy proceedings, after the witness had
been examined by physicians, the proceedings were thrown out of
court. Mr. Hpecht's sole object in instituting the proceedings was
to get jjossession of the Gunston Hall property.
MORE DENIALS.
In the evidence taken before the commission, your husband swore,
remarked Mr. Latchford, that Dr. Howard's followers were perfect
slaves to his will. They called him lord and master, and cringed
like worms. It is not true, i)roniptly came the reply from the wit-
ness. Counsel then read the following extract from Mr. Joseph
Specht's evidence:
At the first meeting I attended, it seems that the Sage of Am had
to go upstairs to prepare himself for the official services he was sup-
posed to hold as the great high priest. He came down after a little
while dressed in a dark green robe made out of Irish silk, a cheap
affair, looking as if it was home-made, nothing gorgeous about it,
and he had a belt around his waist, with a sword sticking in his
scabbard and he had on a little cap of some kind, and he came down
equipped for business. Then he turned his face toward the East,
where the sun rises in Ihe morning, took oS his shoes, because he
said that the Lord of High would not allow any person to wear
shoes that was praying, or going through the order; and he i.mm-
bled something that I didn't understand, and finally he read a chap-
ter out of the Bible. I think it was out of the Psalms, if I mistake
not. And this is about all that was done. He gave some little
talk, you know, but I did not think there was anything very exhila-
rating about that.
Q. Or anything very wrong at that time. A. No, indeed.
Q. You attended other meetings? A. I attended another meet-
9S
s:;'
S'!
fJI ','
I1
11
11
•i:f
u
'^|!
ing hiter ou. A tier be had goue Ihiougli the iJieliiniuaries, he said
he eouhl not hold that meeting- because there were too many elemen-
tals ill the room, that the room was just full of them, and com
nieuced slashing his sword around the room so as to kill the eleiiKii
tals. It occurred to nie that the fellow must be crazy, and I said I
did uot want any more of that religion, if it was religion. But of
course, out of regard for my wife and thos'» who were jHeseut. I did
not say anything — I restrained myself.
(i. Did the meeting go on? A. The meeting went on aft< '■ ilu-
elemeiitals had been killed; I sui)pose they were lying all over the
lloor, but 1 didn't see any of them.
Q. After the elemenlals were killed he went on with the meet
ing, just as before? A. Yes, sir.
Q. Did you have any talk to your wife about the absurdity of all
this proceeding at that time?
Witness i)ositively swore that she had never seen Dr. Howard
witli such a gown as that descril)ed on, had never seen him wear a
sword or act in the manner described. There was not a syllable
of truth in the whole story. Neither was there a particle of truth
in the story of Kev. Joseph Specht's, that she had claimed that let-
ters came to her through a mysterious agency from the Himalayas.
Mr. Latcliford read witness the following from Mr. Specht's
evidence:
One evening I sat in my room in a rocking chair, smoking a cigai'.
Mrs. Specht talking about her religious affairs, and I told her that
there was no occasion for anything of that kind; that that matter
had been settled.
She said: "Yes there is. because you have robbed me of my
religion and my master" — having reference to Howard, I suppose.
And she said: "I am living a life of prostitution with you, and I
have been your concubine for 29 years."
I then told her that I thought the parting of the ways had come.
that she should never occupy my bed again as long as she lived, and
I ordered her to go into another bedroom.
Witness said there was not one word of truth in the statement
as made. The truth of the matter was that her husband had made
an attack upon her life, and witness had only been saved by her
daughter with great difficulty. He was very cruel to her some-
times. He compelled hr- to make him her trustee, and after tliar
she left, and took an action against him for alimony.
To further (piestions witness stated that the diamonds she had
given to Howard to dispose of were off-color diamonds, for which
far too much had been paid. As to the clothes disposed of in the
Washington auction room, they were mere castoff clothes of the
children, the accumulation of many years, which had been littering
the cellars of Gunston Hall, and which had been sold at the sug-
gestion of Mr. Specht. As to the story that she had received a
letter with a lotus flower in it, supposed to have come from India,
she 8ai(
that sh(,
seconds,
her alio
After
had bee
look hoi
Q. Yc
Speeht?
Q. Yo
Q. Bu
Q. Yo
smiled a
Q. An
(Another
Q. I h
gether, p
her head
Q. We
not live
Q. Ybi
A. I live
Q. Yoi
A. Yes.
Q. Tha
I want y
philosopl
what abc
Q. Yoi
know.
Q. We
Q. We
with Dr.
Q. We
is Dr. H(
Q. No^
to you.
Q. Did
Q. Wei
memory.
The let
99
she said that she had never seiMi a lotus flower. She never said
that she had means of j-ettin^- letters from the Himalayas in a few
seconds. She only wished she knew how. She gave the checks for
lier allowance to Dr. IIowar'^ and he cashed them.
After a few letters, which showed (hat for some time Mr. Spcclit
had been interested in Howard's work, had been put in, Mr. Osier
took hold of the witness for cross-examination.
MRS. SPECHT CROSS EXAMINED.
Q. You had no means in your own right when you married Mr,
Specht? he inquired. A. No, rcj)licd tl.e witness, laconically.
Q. You were poor and he was poor? A. Yes.
Q. But you had m happy home? A. Yes, at tirst.
Q. You had a fine, tall, handsome and kind husband? '\Vitn(-s8
smiled assent.)
Q. And you were a fine, smart, intelligent-looking young woman?
(Another pleased smile.)
Q. I have no doubt that when you walked out in St. Louis to-
gether, people said there's a good-looking couple. (Witness shook
her head deprecatingly and significKl dissent by a shake of the head.)
Q. Well, you must have had all of the good looks then. You do
not live with your husband now? A. No.
Q. You live with Dr. Howard at Carleton Place, do you not?
A. I live at Dr. Howard's house and take my meals at the hotel.
Q. You used to live happily with your husband at St. Louis once?
A. Yes.
Q. That was before this Indian philosophy overtook you. Now,
I want you to tell the court and jury something about this Indian
philosophy about which we have been hearing. In the first place,
what about the order? What do you call it? A. I don't know.
Q. You don't know. Well, what does it consist of? A. Don't
know.
Q. Well, of course, you know tl'ere is an order? A. No.
Q. Well, let me see if I can assist 3'ou. You have corresponded
with Dr. Howard and know his writing, I suppose? A. Yes.
Q. Well (producing letter), look at this letter and tell me if this
is Dr. Howard's signature in his own handwriting? A. Y"es.
Q. Now, look at the address. You will observe that it is addressed
to you. A. Yes.
Q. Did you receive it? A. Yes.
REFRESHED HER MEMORY
Q. Well, let me read it to the jury; perhaps it will refresh y(»ur
memory.
The letter, which was filed as an exhibit, read as follows:
100
15
fl
M
Moutreul, 21 AiiguHt, 1891.
Mre. E. E. H. Specht,
3723 Pine street, St. Louis, Mo.
My Dear Friend:
Your letter of tiie lith inst. came duly to hand and I have writ-
ten several replies thereto, but none of them seemed to satisfy me,
so I did not mail them.
Of course, you know that I should be most delighted to get rid of
the necessity of doing anything with the financial part of the work,
bat there is no one else here who can relieve me of the duty; if I
were to send to India for one of our Order of the Viasya caste he
would be ignorant of the manners and customs of this people.
Our order pledges its integrity for the administration to the just
uses of all funds that may be subscribed for the work in hand;
this work can only be conducted by myself, as I am the only one
whom the Council can control for the higher work, to me has
been committed this trust. The work must be done according to
their instructions, if done at all, nor are they willing to put their
affairs in such a position that a conflict of jurisdiction can be ever
possible. Do you comprehend the possibility indicated? We are
having a very nice visit from Mrs. P. J. Willis and her two lovely
daughters; they came last Sunday and will, I expect, remain for
two or three weeks with ns. Mr. Quintas Price has come home, so
we have a full house at present.
I presume that your son Edward has returned to St. Louis by
this time; he said he expected to be home to-night. Joseph is
quite well, as I suppose you know from himself.
In regard to what I said to you about writing to him of the busi-
ness at home, you perhaps have not thought that if you wish him
to ever believe that Mr. Specht means what he says, viz., that
Joseph is no longer to expect anything from him until he has proved
his manhood, nor shall he ever go in the store again. So long as
you are keeping him posted, and from what you said he is under
the impression that tlie money Mr. Sprecht has promised to our
order is given on his account, because he is taking it up; this, yon
know, is not the case, because we were promised, say $10,000, bo-
fore anything of the kind was contemplated; the rest you know;
but I want you to put yourself right in this, because it would seem
as though we were selling our membership for money, which we
will not do. Joseph is not a member of the order, and it will take
a different disposition on his part before he can ever be one of us.
NOT LIKE FREEMASONS.
This order is not like the Odd Fellows or Freemasons, where
a man can gain admittance on the payment of a certain fee; all the
money in the world will never advance a man an eye-lash length
beyond his spiritual merit. I suppose you are aware of this in part?
^ What I hope for Joseph is that he will take an interest in things
divine un
to help ai
but he m
me; lie ii
concernec
of it, whe
iial. He
those wh
now even
you say h
way fore^
willed ac
Human ai
a king.
And af
worldly li
for him.
to see bin
Now I
one who >
you, mucl
err.
The ab(
pears to u
of his ha
punctuati
tences an
errors. A
matter wi
ture, so th
After t
get the w
answer ev
Q. Wh£
with the c
Q. Hes
Ivnow."
Q. So 3-
Doctor spi
Then M
fied as bei
to her hu«
it in the cj
101
diviue and not from cuiiotitv, as at present, and that be will be able
to help as professor in our school and help me in my practice also;
but he must alter his gate if he does. Now, do you misunderstand
me; lie is doinp excellently as far as keepin{; himself 8traij;ht is
concerned, but I am speakinj; of our work from the Master's side
of it, where we look to the soul and not to the actions of the individ-
ual. He has no conception of what is expected and required of
those who walk with us, nor would he be able to bear the strain
now even if he knew; therefore, it behooves you to be careful what
you say to him about these matters, for fear that you may block his
way foreveV. We can overlook many a blunder, but not one self-
willed act of man. (Jod does not do so, neither does our council.
Human arrogance is not to be tolerated for a moment, not ev€*n from
a king.
And again you bring around your son the elemental of the
worldly life he has to forget before he can ever be what you hope
for him. It is for the good of all concerned that I speak, for I wish
to see him succeed in what he has undertaken.
Now I hope you will understand me. I spake in all kindness as
one who would do you good; but you must remember that not even
you, much as we love you, can be passed by unreproved when you
err.
I am faithfully yours,
G. S. HOWARD.
The above letter was written with typewriter, which Howard ap-
pears to use for most of his correspondence. He is even very chary
of his handwriting, even in making corrections, and the faulty
punctuation, mistakes in spelling and involved and incomplete sen-
tences are in the original, and apparently due to mere mechanical
errors. A few short but essential words omitted in the typewritten
matter were written in Howard's handwriting, and also the signa-
ture, so that the letter was easy to identify.
After the letter had been read Mr. Osier tried for some time to
get the witness to explain certain sentences, but she had the same
answer every time. ''Don't know."
THE ELEMENTALS.
Q. What does he mean when he speaks about the Elemental
with the capital *'E"? asked the learned counsel. A. Don't know.
Q. He speaks of a promise to pay |10,000 and says, ''the rest you
know." What was the rest? A. Don't know.
Q. So you didn't know the rest, after all; but you hear that the
Doctor spoke of the order? (so answer.)
Then Mr. Osier showed w' ness another letter, which she identi-
fied as being in her own hanf writing and as having been sent by her
to her husband. Mr. Osier read it to the court as follows, and filed
it in the case:
■vr
1U2
II
Washington, 11, 30, '95.
Aly Is)ear Joseph: .
The box coutaiuing the turkey and other good things came to
hand Wednesday evening, and Miss Hemstreet and I have enjoyed
them ever since. The flowers, pinks, roses, chrysanthemums, all
lovely, arrived Thursday, just as we were lamenting that she had
forgotten to have a few flowers for Sallie, the housekeeper's wed-
ding. She was married and left the same day. I will proceed now
to try and explain to you, in an unbiased manner and with no
thought in my mind, or feeling in my heart, but that of truth and
kindliness, entirely free from all judgment or malice. Let us'put aside
the -question of religious differences for a moment altogether and
look at this matter in a clear light. You know no human being can
1)0 the sole controller and arbiter of another one's inclinations and
tendencies. A woman is bound to cherish her own individuality
sacredly, married or not married. Now, you can imagine for one
moment that if 1 was really the modern church woman you would
wish me to be, that any obscure country or city life could ever sat-
isfy my ambition to work out what I would think my proi)er des-
tiny? I would belong to literary clubs, go into first-class society,
spend money lavishly on charity, etc. All my life I have secretly
cherished the ambition to build some great institution to benefit
man, so tnat I would have not lived in vain.
SOME PHILOSOl'HY.
ft :'
1 ■:
i< ■(■'
A woman of my active temperament would never be content with
a purely domestic life. It is possible that in spile of our long mar-
ried life we have not come into such close relationship that you
<ould fully understand my longings, aims and ambitions of the past
years'? I hope you will believe me when [ say that I have no other
motive in writing you all this, save to prove my vi( w of existing
conditions, that I do not blame you for anything. The agony that
the mere thought of separating from you caused me was so greai
that it threw me upon a bed of suflering, when I almost lost my life.
I had no opportunity to show you by indulging you in material lux-
uries how I agonized over what has been the long, deep-rooted
growth of years, nor will you ever know; this matter of our life-long
companionship cannot be lightly bioken, you know well enough,
but even this cannot change what is irrevocabU\ viz., the condi-
tions of our minds and what has also been the growth of years in
our characters. 1 saw myself in the spirit, at home trying very hard
for hours, to light our cooking stove fire; matches and paper would
light and invariably die out, withou*^ being able to ignite the fine
kindling wood; you camo and tried, o'l! so hard, to do the same, in
vain; we both tried to relight our hear'h fire; it was impossible; our
home fire had turned to dead ashes, an,' neither you nor T, nor bolli
together, could roliglit it. The colored servant lit it easily and
cooked dinner on it. Tliat set nir to thinkiug. Living in such con-
103
10, '95.
came to
enjoyed
urns, all
she had
'i-'s wt'd
eed now
with no
'ulh and
)ut aside
her and
Bing can
Ions and
'idualilv
for one
u would
jver sat-
per des-
soeiely,
secretly
• benefit
2nt with
mg mar-
hat you
the past
ao other
existing
)ny that
30 great
my life,
rial liix-
p-rooted
life-long
enougli.
e condi-
years in
^ry hard
r would
the fine
same, in
ble; our
lor Ivotli
sily and
leh eon-
staut comi)anionship with me, bound as I was to be, to an idle life,
unable to carry out any special plans of my own, our aims and lives
would have grown wider and wider apart, when innumerable mis-
understandings would have been the result. Two remedies aloue
would have healed the constant breaches between us. Had you
humbled yourself to the dust aud served God with ail your heart,
devoting all your energies, powers aud money to Christ's cause,
living just as lie taught, a pure, sell'-sacrilicing life, aud 1 joined
heart aud soul with you. Or, secondly, had you joined heart
and soul with me in living as the aspirer of that which is holiest,
highest and best in uuin and woman, been a sincere truth-seeker
under t.ie new dispensation, we would have both loved each other
so purely aud grown into each other as one, as man and wife should.
You ask me to forget what 1 know of that which has become part
of myself. These higher truths have become so ingrained into my
being that not even death will dis[»erse them; but, i;ven if 1 were
perfectly willing and anxions to recant and honestly desired to
abide by what you demand and desire, there are absolutely no posi-
tive means in my power to convince you for good, all aud forever,
that 1 was entirely free and uuiniiuenced forever from that which
antagonizes you. Cau yon not see that there is a law here ovei-
which neither you nor 1 have full control? \\'hich places us in the
most pitiable plight? Shakespeare says: "Trifles, light as air, are
proofs as strong as Holy Writ," to confirm suspicion. Some inno-
cent action or word of mine, a chance newspaper paragrai)h, indeed,
hundreds of irrelevant things, might arouse that which glows as an
unextinguishable fire within you. On the other hand, what guar-
antee could I have, if I obi'ved your will in this matter, that yuu
fully trusted and believed me. or that you had changed youi- views
of me? I am fully convinced that whether I do as you wish me to
do or still pursue the (-(uirse I have nuirked out for myself, that all
attempts on onr part to live the peaceful life (U)d intends us (o do
by any reconciliation on onr part, will be futile and useless.
Matters must now. I am sad to say. with a heart forever broken,
])ursue the course inevitable under such unhappy and unfortunate
conditions. As I understood you. when you came to see me in
October, it was your wish and mine. So let it be! The uprooting
of that which it took 28, nay 2!>, years to plant and succor cannot
bo done in a short time.
The attorney for me has been in court all week. Tie says to
])lease tell you it will be totally ini])ossible to have any meeting next
week, but week after next he can attend to it.
I know you will coincide with nu^ in this matter, perfectly .satis-
fied that our unhaiii)y life lived in companionship would be far
worse than sojiaration. It is inevitable! T shall be glad to see you
any time yon may come to see me while matters are pending
betwef^n us. Let us lio])e tlie agony may all soon be over for us
both Your loving
EMMA.
104
«
i
It is just a good, dutiful, Christian wife's letter, remarked the
witness, as she identified it.
Liit us see what a good, dutiful wife's letter is like, said Mr. Osier,
as he proceeded to read it.
You seem to have loved him, remarked Mr. Osier, as be finished
the reading.
LOVES HEK HUSBAND STILL.
■i :
■* '<■
V
( ■,
.!■ ■'
Yes; I love him still, replied the witness.
Q. Just as a dutiful Christian wife should? A. Yes.
Q, Yes; on paper. (Silence.)
Q. You saw a good deal of Dr. Howard while he was at Gsnston.
What did he do? A. Well, he was busy in connection with the
institution.
Q. What doing? A. Investigating and teaching his pliilosophy.
Q. Yes, we know; the philosophy that separates wife from hue-
band. What else did he do? A. He had plenty to do.
Q. What did you say you call the order? A. I did not say.
Q. Was it The Royal Ancient Order of the Oriental Mysteries?
A. No.
Q. Well, how will this do, The Occidental Branch of the Sat-Ba-
Koah? A. No.
Q. Did you ever hear it called anything? A. No.
Q. Dr. Howard never told you? A. No.
Q. Then I must say he treated you very badly. A. As a matter
of fact, he had several names for the order.
Q. But he told you about his ritual. I suppose? A. No.
SOME OF THE RITUAL.
I-:
Q. He didn't tell you about his ritual, but you knew, of course,
that he had one? A. No.
Q. WeW, indeed, lie did treat you unkindly, for here we have in
connection with the evidence taken before the commission the fol-
lowing ritual for the opening and closing of the lodge. Now, listen.
Proceeds to read document as follows:
OPENING SERVICE.
The members of this class. No.
Occidental Branch of the
Oriental Order of the Sat Bai Gooha, will repair to their places,
the members grouj) themselves about the tables, as if in waiting,
the Chowdrani coming forward addressing tliem, saying: "I^adies.
why are you waiting here?"
(All answer) — We are waiting for our Overseer, who is to come
from the East with instructions from the Council of our Order for
our guidance in the search for Wisdom and the Ancient Truths.
Chowdrani — Then who are you? A. Sat Bai Gooha.
105
Q. What mean you by this answer? A. The seven ladies of
the secret chamber.
Q. How am I to know you to be such? A. By our Sign, Word
and Token.
Q. What is your word? (They all come forward, and each in turn
whispers the word in her ear.)
Q. Wliat, then, is your token? (Each now presents her token for
inspection.)
Q. You are most assuredly the Metri whom I an: seeking, but be-
fore I give fellowship in Prasad, I would have you describe your
chamber. Where is it? A. Our chamber is at a retired spot near
ancient Himavat. It is a very holy place called Goloka, but owing
to its great distance from us, it has pleased the council of our order
to permit us to hold our meetings under the direction of a Chowdrahi
duly appointed to lead us in devotions. W'e believe you to be that
person, and if so be you will display your authority, that we may
know you as such and listen to your words, and, hearing, obey the
Instructions you bring us from Maharajah Taya.
Q, Your belief is well founded. I am Chowdraci. But I would
inquire further to test your knowledge. What is the form of the
chamber which you have mentioned? A. It is circular, having a
dome-shaped roof, typifying the vaults of the heavens.
Q. What does it contain? A. Seven chairs, a circular table, and
a lamp of a very peculiar construction, the light of which is re-
flected downward on Grantha.
Q. What do you mean by Grantha? A. In our language, which
is in the ancient Devan-agri, it means the Book of the Sacred Laws.
Q. What does this peculiarly constructed lamp signify in your
philosophy? A. It is said to be made after the pattern of the one
used in the ancient temple. It represents the Lord of Light, and
reminds us of the presence of His Spirit in our souls, and also
admonishes us of the necessity of keeping our son's c'-ean from the
defilements of all earthly vice, so that His light divine may shine
forth.
CLOSING SERVICES.
Sat Bai Gooha — The time draweth nigh, and I will now ask you to
Assist me in closing this Durbar, but before declaring it closed let us
pray.
SOULS IN SWARGA.
Diaus-patir— Lord God, we thank Thee for this opportunity which
it hath blessed Thee to vouchsafe unto us of again meeting in Thy
name, and we praise and adore Thy great name for Thy loving kind-
ness. Confirm our purposes to live righteously and sober'y in this
present life, free from the fetters of earthly folly and all worldly
wisdom from the council. Inspire us with hope born of the assur-
ance that we shall one day arrive at the rest of the undisturbed and
106
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find our completeness by absorption in Thee, which is the Nirvanya
of the blest. Now may Thy grace and peace follow and abide with
us in all our lives as we go forth from this cliamber, and when we
be done with the life of the flesh we pray Thee to receive our souls
in Swarga.
(All respond) So may it be.
Chowdrani — Metri — It becomes our duty now to place in a safe
place these things which belong to our chamber. Let the book be
secured from all inquisitive eyes. Let the chairs be back to back.
Now let us all unite in giving the lioly sign.
(All I'ising, turn their chairs back to back, and standing, give the
sign.)
Chowdrani — Sat Bai — The Chovvk Bythnia no longer exists, chaos
reigns. So it was in the beginning, and so it shall be in the end.
It is only in our own inward consciences where memory can treasure
the reality, and so may we treasure the great truths that we may
gather here. As I bear aw.iy with me the records of this meeting,
so may you bear away in your hearts the Master's blessing. Peace
be with you always.
There remaining nothing more to be done, I, in the name of the
Master under whom wo sereve, declare this chamber closed, and to
stand closed until the next regular meeting, unless in case of emer-
gency it should sooner be convened, in which case you shall have
due notice. God be with you.
(All respond) So may it be.
Well, at any rate, it takes seven to form a lodge, and perhaps
he has not been able to get seven yet, remarked Mr. Osier, after
reading the documents.
Q. What was the form of admission to the order? A. I don't
know.
Q. Was there an oatli or obligation? A. No.
Q. (Producing document.) Well, here is a paper purporting to be an
obligation signed by Sylvester Nidelet, Celsus Price and Quintus
Price, put in at the commission. Did you have to take an obligation
'like that? A. No.
if
JIRY GIVES ITS VERDICT FOR THE STAR.
Less Than Five Minutes Out of Court to Deliberate.
THE ADDRESSES BY THE COUNSEL AND AN INTERESTING
CHARGE BY THE CHIEF JUSTICE.
l»erth, April 28.— ur all the exhibits jml hi by the defense none
was of {greater inteiest, ]>eihaj>s, than the original obligation of
Howard's order shown to Mrs. Specht in the witness box during
her cross-examination by Mr. Osier, Q. (J.
The document which was I'aiiiastically, but not very artistically,
engrossed in red and black ink, was as follows:
^tXi( J)cus ^(^sio £nx
4>atli 'I'likcii b.v VictiiiiN.
I, A. B.. of my own free will, acordiug to my conscience, humbly
kneeling before Almighty (lod. the great all-wise and incompre-
hensible Creator of the universe, in whom and by whom I live, move
iind have my being, declare my faith, I believe in One God, the
Eternal first cause, having neitluM' beginning of days or end of life.
Who is Infinite and Eternal, ever i)resent, all seeing, all wise, and
that His eyes do always behold me and all other of His creatures;
that He is all-pov, erful. by His decree I am, all things are, and He is.
I believe He is ^Spirit, and is the life and (^ssence of all things, ani-
mate and inanimate, organic and ijioi'ganic, and that He created all
things by the word of His ineffable power, first Spirit, then Soul,
and lastly the matei-ial universe of form and matter. I believe in
the Trinity as the executive power of God. for tlie government of the
universe under the One. I believe in arch-angels, angels and spirits,
who act as the ministers of God to men. 1 believe the Spirit of
eternal life ]icrvades all things. Therefore, nothing is ever, was,
or can be, destroyed, so long as the spirit of life exists. I believe
in the immortalitv of (ho soul and of its continued existence under
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altered conditions after change men call death. I believe in the
unseen or disembodied state of the soul, that rewards and punish-
ments are given to this immortal for deeds done in the body.
I believe in that condition of blessed peace called Heaven, and
one of most abject misery called hell. I believe in the existence
of good and evil, and the individuality of the powers of good and
evil, that the soul of the perfect men or the twice born are taken
into the presence of the Gods and made the companions of the
angels. That those whose lives are evil in this life will after
death be banished from among the chosen and become outcasts,
the companions of the fallen angels and reprobate men, from which
condition there is, therefore, no redemption, but an endless banish-
ment and continued curse, which the immortal soul must forever
endure.
I believe God so loves His creatures that He has in times past
and will cagain send the spirit of His ministers, who, taking upon
themselves the form of humanity, dwelt among men, seeking to be
to them samples of Holiness.
INCARNATION OF SPIRITS.
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I believe in incarnation of spirits in human form; in all this I
recognize God's goodness, wisdom, justice and mercy, for all of
which I am truly grateful, returning thanksgiving and praise, as it
is proper I should. Believing in all this most fully and truly, I now
call upon Him to witness this, my solemn obligation, and may He
be my judge and reward me my portion among the evil-doers if I
fail to keep it inviolate forever.
I, A. B., a man of mature years and sound mind, of my own free
will and accord, calling upon God and His Holy Angels to be my
witnesses, and in the presence of my sponsor and the council of
brothers here assembled, do most solemnly promise and swear that
1 will always conceal and never reveal the secrets of this council, or
any other degree or degrees, of this Royal Oriental Order of the
Ancient Mysteries, under what name soever it or they may be
called, nor any of its ritual, rites or ceremonies. I swear that I
will never, by any sign, word or token, make known any of the arts,
part or principles; that I will not write them, cut, carve or indite
them upon anything moveable or immovable under the whole can-
opy of Heaven; that I will not myself do so, nor will I permit
another to do if in my power to prevent it. I swear to protect them
to the utmost of my ability, promising to risk life and limb in their
defense, if required so to do. I swear that I will always aid and
protect a brother master or fellow of the craft against all and every
person, power or thing to the greatest of my ability without regard
to the consequence to myself, when knowing him to be a master,
brother or fellow of the order, be he right or be he wrong, acknowl-
edging always the bond of my fraternal fealty and leaving the
equity of his cause to the judgment by a council of his peers or the
109
deeisiuu of the Supreme Sponsor of the Order. Further, I swear to
maintain his secrets and conceal the same from all persons whom-
soever as carefully as I would my own, and as 1 would wish him
under like circumstances to conceal mine if in his possession, only
and excepting when required by the mandate of the Supreme
Sponsor, duly attested, to reveal the same; and, further, I swear
to protect and defend the person, honor, property and life of the
Supreme Sponsor against all and every person or persons, pov/ers,
governments, place or thing whatsoever; that I will obey his man-
dates in all things in a prompt and willingly and unquestionably
obedience, promising to travel over sea or land to carry out his
messages, acting always and in every particular in exact obedience
expressed or understood and as conveyed to me personally by the
Sponsor or by a duly accredited courier, or by the Supreme Spon-
sor's mandate, duly attested. 1 promise and swear to obey the
Sponsor in all things, and to respect all duly and regularlv consti-
tuted authority under him as the supreme head of this order.
Promising at all times to labor for the advancement and good
name of the order, to promote its interests and conserve its secrets,
binding myself therefore by the penalties of the order, which are,
that having been adjudged guilty of the violation of this most
solemn and sacred obligation by a council of my peers, and the
same being confirmed by the Supreme Sponsor, that my body shall
be dismembered according to the ancient and most holy decree;
to all of which I pledge my most sacred honor, oath and word, my
faith in Supreme Creator and my hope of my immorality beyond
the grave; and this I do without any equivocation or mental reser-
vation in any manner, matter or form whatsoever.
So may it be. , i ,- ,
In duplicate.
QUINTUS PRICE,
'' CELSUS PRICE,
'' SYLVESTER L. NIEDLET.
Q. So, continued Mr. Osier, Howard did not enlighten you to a very
great extent about his order. He did not tell you its name, he
did not give you the ritual, he did not give you the obligation, he did
Dot tell you who belonged to it, and he did not tell you what he
was doing. All you knew about it was that you were out $5,000.
But how was all the money you gave him spent? A. In furthering
the work.
Q. In what way? A. In various ways.
Q. Well, tell me one way? A. In connection with the institution
at Gunston. It was an institution for the pursuit of philosophical
studies.
Q. Philosophical studies, eh? A. Yes.
Q. Well, just tell us what kind. A. The studies included philos-
ophy, history, autliorship, etc.
Q. I should think that "How I dropped $5,000 at Gunston" would
be a good title for your next novel. All you know about it is that
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you are out |5.000? A. Well, I wafi perfectly satisfied with the
way it was expended. I never complained.
Q. No, your husband made the money and Howard spent it.
Mrs. Morrey, of St. Louis, eldest daughter of the last witness, was
the next witness, corroborating one or two points of ber mother's
testimony.
That comi)lel('d the case in rebuttal. The defense called no wit-
nesses, counsel for plaintiff being willing to admit that the plaintiff
had beon present in court at all the sittings during this trial, and
was then in court.
i»Ir. B. B. <»Mloi-, «|. C, A«l«lrei«^iiiiK the Jury,
A pin could be heard drop in the court when Mr. Osier, Q. C, be-
gan his address to the jury on behalf of the defense. The learned
counsel wasted no time on preliminary remarks.
Mr. Osier, having read tlie article complained of to the jury, said:
The plain and simple matter is for you to say whether that is a
libel or not. A libel is something which brings a man unjustly into
discredit with his neighbors, something which is untrue. Here is a
man asking large damages from this newspaper; asking you to
put money in his pocket, and he dare not go into that box and let me
ask him a few questions! •
the
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111
He is right hero iu court at this momeut. That man dare not
have his past unearthed. He cannot fence himself here as he did
■ in the examination for discovery by saying, *'I decline to answer
that question." He has got to if he goes into that box.
There he sits in court with the three women, his wife, Mrs. Sprecht
and Mrs. Alh'ii. He puts tlie women forward like a coward, but
dare not go into I he box himself.
Just bring your own broad coiumon sense to bear on tliis, and
you will see wiiy lu' daren't have* the leaves of his past life over-
turned. Four years after it liappened he comes in and asks you to
give him damages, because this newspaper published a dispatch
from Washington, a disjjatch which was in substance, and in fact
true. Oh, yes! A man may be injured by a newspaper paragraph
four years after its publication; but let him come to the jury and
show the wound. Le't us see if he has got any character to be taken
away. Especially is that due to a man who is placed by the evi-
dence in the position that this m a is. That man is unable to get
up in the box and say that what is said of him is untrue. If noth-
ing is said about a man there is nothing to answer; but we are here
boldly saying that this article is true. He keeps away because he
wants to keep away from the truth. Now, gentlemen, I don't care
whether this warrant was properly issued or not, according to the
laws of the State of Virginia.
DID HE FLEE?
.1' II
Was thei'e one issued, and did he fllee? There was, we claim, a
warrant, and I ask you to say that he tied. Why? This man had a
property at Gunston Hall — if you believe it — worth four thousand
dollars, and there was Cisco, the yellow dog. He had all the lux-
uries of his trade, and he left them all behind; left for the north, for
a land where there was no warrant. Why did he leave his prop-
erty?
Why did he never go back? Was it because he was wanted as
a witness to prove Mrs. Specht's insanity; or if he had to flee be-
cause of the danger that he would have to prove her insane; what
were his dealings with .the woman? Take either horn of the
dilemma. He tied to Canada either to avoid giving evidence or to
evade arrest, and in Canada he has remained ever since. The win-
ters may be cold here and (lunston may be warm, but he prefers
the cold north, with a fur overcoat, to Fairfax county gaol I
Did you ever see such a reckless piece of litigation as this attempt
to coin a bad character into good nmney? It is a long way to come
to defend an action of this character, and expensive work. He says,
''This Montreal Star would rather pay hundreds of dollars to me
than go to the expense of defending the action." But no man is fit
to publish a newspaper who isn't willing to plough out his furrow
when he starts. We were left alone for four years, and we took it
up where we let it otf. We were determined, as honest .journalists.
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to see if this man is what he is deBcribed to be. That was what he
was banking on. Yes; some people would pay rather than come up
from Montreal to Perth. It would have been cheaper to have paid
a few hundred dollars than to do what the proprietors of the Mon-
treal Star have done. No doubt it would have been cheaper to
have settled.
hiu
see
1
IS HE AN HONEST MAN?
Now, gentlemen, what is he? Is he an honest man, getting an
honest living, or is he a man with strong influence and whose strong
will works on women with balderdash about mystery and occultism
and Indian orders and philosophy? What philosophy has he taught
these women? They don't know even the name of the order. You
would suppose there weren't any order, he has got them so com-
pletely drilled and under hia control. They have got to say what he
says. But look at this letter on the 21st of August. Evidently some
small part is dictated to Mrs. Specht. This is what he writes:
Of course you know that I should be most deliglited to get rid
of the necessity of doing anything with the financial part of the
work, but there is no one else here who can relieve me of the duty;
if I were to send to India for one of our Order of the Viasya caste
he would be ignorant of the manners and customs of this people.
Our order pledges its integrity for the administration to the just
uses of all funds thay may be subscribed for the work in hand;
this work can only be conducted by myself, as I am the only one
whom the council can control for the higher work; to me has been
committed this trust. The work must be done according to their
instructions, if done at all, nor are they willing to put tlieir affairs
in such a position that a conflict of jurisdiction can be ever possible.
Do you comprehend the possibility indicated? From what you said
he is under the impression that the money Mrs. Specht has prom-
ised to our Order is given on his account, because he is taking it
up; this, you know, is not the case, because we were promised, say
f 10,000, before anything of the kind was contemplated; the rest you
know, but I want you to put yourself right in this, because it would
seem as though we were selling our membership for money, which
we will not do. Joseph is not a member of the Order and it will
take a different disposition on his part before he can ever be one
of us.
NOT LIKE FREEMASONS.
This order is not like the Odd Fellows or Freemasons, where a
man can gain admittance on the payment of a certain fee. All the
money in the world will never advance a man an eyelash length
beyond his spiritual merit. I suppose you are aware of this in part.
And again you bring around your son the elemental of the
woiidly life he has to forget before he can ever be what you hope for
113
him. It is lor llie yootl of all coiu-eiued that 1 spi'iik, for I wish to
soe him succeed in whiit he has undeitalien.
Now 1 hope you will understand nie. 1 speak in all kindness as
one who would do you good, hut you must remember that not even
you, nmeli as we love you. can be passed by unreproved when you
r am faithfully vours,
err
Ci. S. 110 WARD.
\ye are not sayin;; iji our article that these tilings are true. But
can't you see that this man has broken ui) this home, has come
between this husband and wife? She conies here and tells you thai
her husband was a dissipated man and her sou a tliie'f. That
woman is far gone, so far under the inliuence of a bad man, that
she is willing for that man to besmirch the name of lier husband and
her son, who is now ;i clergyman. That son has a character,
because he cannot get admitted lo orders unless he has. And look
at the husband. He sends her down, in 18!J5. boxes of fruit and
flowers, and turkeys, etc.. and she thanks him for his thoughtful-
ness and writes a letter, in elVect. saying she has no comi)laint to
make against him, but wanting him to live up to this new dispen-
sation, this Howard ])]iilosoj)hy, this Indian religion, this mockery
of all that is sacred and I'iglit. I ask you to believe the husband
and son. SIi(% the wife of twenty-nine years, says to him, I cannot
live witli you. I am committing adultery with you; ])ressing him to
join the ordei-, so that Howard may get the money he had made out
of his pocket.
1
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If
DAREN'T GIVE EVIDENCE.
Yes; that is the man who has asked you twelve men to give him
damages and he sits over there (pointing to Howard) and daren't
come here (j.ointing to the witness box). Why is that box empty?
Why is that seat full? Because if he faces cross-examination he
has got to show that the Star's article was all wrong, because it
was not strong enough; that we wrote with such moderation that
his wisest plan was not to compromise himself here. He is a
deceiver of women with his mysteries and nonsense and balder-
dash. He extracts money. For what purpose? Howard's pocket!
Now. gentlemen, let his counsel say what he will, you might think
when bis counsel has spoken that five minutes from the man himself
in the witness box would have been better. Need I detain yon fur
ther. You have heard the witnesses, the women in the box; all
emotional women; women of a class likely to be imposed upon.
Take the broad fact that there is a desolate hearth in the Specht
family, where the woman who lived in happiness for twenty-nine
years should be, and taking care of the evening of her husband's
life, taking care of the man whom she took for better or for worse,
for richer or poorer, according to her mariage vows. The hearth
is desolate, the woman, the head of the happy home, is here, board-
114
injj; at an hotel, living in this man's house. Picture What was;
pictiM'e what is, and you can only come to one conclusion.
ADDKESS OF MR. LATCHFOKD, COUNSEL FOR PLAINTIFF.
Mr. Latchford — May it please the court and gentlemen of the
jury: The task that falls on my shoulders is not an easy one.
Added to my own comi)ara(ive inexperience at the bar, I have to
follow, not only the ablest advocate perhaps in Canada, but one of
the very ablest on this continent, a man who has the reputation
that it is almost suiricient to have him against a prisoner to have
him condemned, and sutticient if he is in his favor to have the ac-
cused go free. I have to follow one of the ablest and most eloquent
advocales that could address a jury.
As the evidence has shown the matter is, after all, a comparative-
ly simple one. My learned friend has made mudi of the fact that
the plaintitr in this case did not go into the witness box. That is
his privilege if he chooses not to go; if he feels that the charges
made against him have been sufficiently answered he may decide,
as he did, not to go into the box. In so far as his relations with the
Specht family are concerned, you have heard the evidence taken
in the city of Washington and you have heard on the other side
those ladies who were so slanderously assailed in some of these
depositions. We have placed Mrs. Allen in the box, who has been
attacked in the vilest manner in these depositions. You have heard
her most complete denial of the statements attributed to her. I ask
which are you going to believe? Do you doubt the statement made
by that lady? Then, if you believe her, as I think you must, you
must discredit the man who, after not twenty-nine years of happy
life, but a great many years of constant difficulties with his wife,
has now driven her to seek a refuge here. She tells you that when
her children were infants in arms she was obliged to flee from him.
When he met with business reverses she came back to him like a
good wife; she worked on, helping him to write his advertisements
in St, Louis. My friend made a great deal of fun of this and enter-
tained you hugely with his description of Eastern philososphy.
WISDOM FROM THE EAST.
Our wisdom comes from the East. Not merely men and women
in ordinary walks of life, but learned professors of universities have
been devoting themselves to the study of the system which seeks
to explain many of the mysteries of the life with which we are sur-
rounded. These people were all interested. Mrs. Specht had been
for years, and Mrs. Allen, and they met there. Mrs. Specht was
accustomed to doing good on a large scale. She spent |2,500 in es-
tablishing an Order of Deaconesses. The work that Howard was
carrying on was seen by Specht daily until 1803, and he hadn't a
word of objection. In all that time did he make any charge that
115
that 15,000 had boon obtaiiuHl by fraud? Then Spcclit d^-siicH to
obtain possession of his wife's properly and all this troubU? bc^'ins.
And she declines to j,nve uj) her es.ale to her liiisband. and he starts
proceedings in lunacy aj-uinst her. It is said that Howard came to
Canada bocaiise a warrant was issued against him. They could
have got this nuui in the United States if tliey wanted him. The
detective swears in. the nmst positive way that extradition proceed-
ings were begun. Mr. Specht says they contemplated such pro-
ceedings. There is no evidence that Howard had cotnmitted fraud,
and nothing was done toward securing his extradition. If the arti-
cle in the Star were true and you should iind it blatneless in other
respects, it is wrong in that. You must find, if you tind for the de-
fendants, that every material i)art of the article is true. We do
not ask for any heavy damages; they should be proportioned to the
wrong done the plaintiff.
THE CHARGE TO THE JIRY.
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Legal Points Carefully Reviewed.
JUDGE MEREDITH SCORES HOWARD FOR NOT EN-
TERING THE WITNESS BOX.
The New Doctrina— A Mere Scheme for Getting Money from
Credulous People— Wretched, Unhappy Lives and Broken
Homes— The Journalist's Duty.
iliiis
(■■V \\\\•^^v^\\\^,^\\mf}'
wmm
HiN I.ordMhip. Nir William Ylercditit, Chief .liiMtictt ol Ontario,
hel'ore nitoin tiie Case was Tri«Mi.
1!
'A
The Chief Justice — (Teuliemen of the jiii'.v: Anyone who prints
and pnblislies of anotlier defiunalory words, words that are calcu-
lated to brinji' into odium oi- injure another, must, unless he can ex-
cuse or justify them, answer in damages to tlie person injured. Nor
is it necessary that tlie plaintili" should show that the words he
complains of iire unti'ue. All he has to do is to prove that these
words were ])ublished by the person he is suing', and if, in the opin-
ion of the jury and of tlie judge, they are susceptible of a defama-
tory meaning, the resj)onsibilily is cast on the defendant to justify
the publication. Now that is the law with regard to what is a libel;
but it is for you to determine whether the paragraph complained
of is libelous or not. Differing from other branches of the law, in
116
117
a case of libel, the jury is the judge of tlie law and of the fact. It
is for you to decide whether the paragraph is libelous. Now the
plaiutiti" has chosen uot to set out as a libel the whole article or
paragraph. But it has been broken up into three parts, each of
which is nuide a cause of action.
The first is so much of the publication as is contained in these
words:
"Dr. Howard, hypnoiist, said lo be in Mom real at present, lie
is wanted in the neighltoiiug republic for alleged frauds on one of
his victims."
That, the plaiutiH" says, is defamatory of him. The defense, bt'-
sides formal denial of the publication justifying the statement, they
say for certain reasons stared in the pleadings that the statement
is true in substance and in fact.
The next complaint which tiie plaint ill" makes is directed to so
much of the publication as is contained in these words:
"Unless some hitch occurs in securing his extradition, Dr. (Jranby
S. Howard, who is alleged to have swindled Mrs. Joseph H. Specht,
of Gunston Hall, Va., wife of a wealthy St. Louis clothing dcniler,
out of 15,000, will soon be lodged behind the bars of Fairfax county
jail. Tlie Common.wealth Attorney of that county has been in-
formed that Howard is in Montreal, and is now in communication
with the police authorities of that city with a view of his detention
until government ofificials can secure the co-operation of the State
Department in securing extradition. Negotiations to that end are
now in progress, and the Fairfax authorities are confident that
Howard will be brought to trial."
What the defendants say with regard to t'nat which justifies the
statement is that prior to the 14th of May, 1894, the plaintiff re-
sided in Fairfax county, Va., with Mr. Specht and his wife; that
plaintiff acquired great influence over Mrs. Specht, and that Mr.
Joseph Specht charged the plaintiff with having obtained from his
wife |5,000 among other things, and that a warrant was duly issued.
Then the third complaint is of the words:
"They forced him to flee for fear of arrest."
With regard to that the defendants set out the same matters
which I have already read to you, and then say that these are what
forced him to flee for fear of arrest.
1 1
THE JUSTIFICATION PLEA.
It is true that when a defendant undertakes to justify an alleged
libel that he is bound to justify the whole artich^; but with this
qualification it is not every minute, unimportant detail that must
be justified. If the material facts, if the substance "of the charge
is made out, then the plea of justification is established. There is
a conflict of testimony here between the father and the son as sup-
ported, if you believe the testimony by other witnesses examined
on the commission, and the wife, Mrs. Allen, and the daughter.
118
\»i
I
11
,1^
Now, before dealing with the question of the evidence, if incidentally
it has been made out to your satisfaction that the plaintiff has been
guilty of an offense against the criminal law, that the article would
have been justified if it had said, not that he was accused, but that
he was guilty, although the statement was that he was accused,
it would follow that he was worthy of the more serious accusation
he must be deserving of the lesser one, so far as that is true. Now,
the evidence has gone to the extent of endeavoring to support this
charge of fraud. According to the testimony of Mr. Specht and his
son, the Spechts had been married since 1868, and they lived hap-
pily until this plaintiff came to St. Louis in 1891. Then his wife,
who had been interested in philosophic matters, seemed to take au
interest in some doctrines that Howard was or professed to be ex-
perienced of. That he himself was imposed upon by him; that he
seemed honest and would impress people favorably on first acquaint-
ance. As the result of all this his wife, with his consent, was desir-
ous of assisting Howard's objects, and to that end he furnished
$5,000. Other sums and jewels were given by his wife. He at-
tended some rites and ceremonies gone through in connection with
this religion or philosophy in the neighborhood, and has described
what it was. He says that his suspicions became aroused. He
remonstrated with his wife for some time, and that finally it led
to his telling his wife that she must choose between him and fol-
lowing the plaintiff as her leader and apostle; and that he also,
about the same time, intimated- to the plaintiff that he had been
defrauded or that his wife had been, and that he intended to prose-
cute liira criminally. That is the statement that substantially Mr.
Specht makes. His wife goes into the box, and her evidence would
lead you to believe that she and her husband had not been getting
on well; that he was not an unbeliever, but as much a believer as
she was, and that tlie money was given at his suggestion. She
makes the troubles attributable to tl;e desire of the husband to
acquire her property. The husband has told us that he did en-
deavor to get out lunacy proceedings. He says the object was to
separate her from Howard. Now. Ihe wife, as I am pointing out,
says this was not true. "All this wns a desire on the part of ray
husband to get my property."
WHERE THE TRUTH LIES.
Very often we can find Fomethiug which comes from the hand of
one of the i)arties which will tell ns wliere the truth lies, whether
in this case the wife under influence has maligned her husband. The
defense rely upon a letter written November 80, 181);"), after Howard
had come to Canada, to show whether all these dilficulties were due
to the husband's pressure ui)on tlu^ wife to give him the property.
This is what Mrs. Specht wiites:
Washington, 11, :iO, '95.
My Dear Joseph — The box containing the turkey and other good
things came to hand Wednesday evening, and IMiss Hemstreet and T
pom
119
have enjoyed them ever since. Tlie llowers, pinks, roses, chrysan-
themums, all lovely, arrived Thursday, just as we were lamenting
that she had forgotten to have a few flowers for Sallie, the house-
keeper's wedding. She was married and left the same day. I
will proceed now to try and explain to you, in an unbiased man-
ner and with no thought in my mind or feeling in my heart but
that of truth and kindliness, entirely free from all judgment or
malice. Let us put aside the question of religious ditfurences for
V. moment altogether and look at this matter in a clear light.
You know no human being can be the sole controller and ar-
biter of another one's inclinations and tendencies. A woman is
bound to cherish her own individuality sacredly, uiarried or not
married. Now, you cannot imagine for one moment that if I was
really the modern church woman you would wish me to be.
"The modern church woman you would wish me to be." Does
that point to her husband desiring to get her property or that his
story is true, that he desired her to give up her evil influence and
live an ordinary life?
Now, you cannot imagine that if I was really the modern church
woman you would wish me to be that any obscure country oi- city
life could ever satisfy my ambition to work out what I would think
my proper destiny? I would belong to literary clubs, go into tirst-
class society, spend money lavishly on charity, etc. All my life I
have secretly cherished the ambition to build some great institution
to benefit man, so that I would have not lived in vain.
A woman of my active temperament would never be content with
a purely domestic life. It is possible that in spite of our long mar-
ried life we have not come into such close relationshii) that you
could fully understand my longings, aims and ambitions of the i)ast
years. I hope you will believe me when I say that I have no other
motive in writing you all this, save to prove my view of existing
conditions, tiiat T do not blame you for anything.
THE PLAIN ENGLISH.
"1 do not blame you for anything." What do(^s that mean? Tlie
wife, when asked for an explanation, says it was Christian forgive-
ness. Does it mean what the plain English indicates, or is it what
she now suggests?
The agony the mere thought of separating from you caused me
was so great that it threw nu^ upon a bed of suffering, when I al-
most lost my life. I had no opportunity to show yon. by indulging
you in material luxuries, how I agonized over what has been the
long, deep-rooted growth of years, nor will you ever know. This
matter of our life-long companionship cannot be lightly broken, you
well know; but even this cannot change what is irrevocable, viz.. the
conditions of our minds and what has also been tlui growth of years
in our characters. I saw myself in the spirit at home trying very
hard for hours to light our cooking stove fii-e. :Matches and \rA\)er
ILM)
would lij;iit jnid inviiriahl.y die our, without being abh' to ignitr the
fine kindling wood. You came and tried, )h, so hard, to dv liie
same in vain. We both tried to relight our heart!) tire. It was
impossible. Our home tire had turned to dead ashes, and neithrr
you nor I, nor both together, could relight it. The colored ser\;int
lit it easily and cooked dinner on it. That set me to thinking. Liv-
ing in such constant companionship, with me, bound as I was to he
to an idle life, unable to carry out any special plans of my own. our
aims and lives would have grown wider and wider a})art, when in-
numerable misunderstandings would have been the result. Two
remedies alone would have healed the constant breaches betwet^n
us. Had you humbled yon"self to the dust and served (Jod with
all your heart, devoting all your energies, powers and money to
Christ's cause, living just as he taught, a pure, self-sacriticing life,
and I Joined heart and soul with you; or, secondly, had you joined
lieart and soul with me in living as the aspirer of that which is
holiest, highest and best in man and woman, been a sincere trutii-
seeker under the new dispensation, we would have both loved (,'aili
other so j)urely and grown into each other as one, as man and wife
should.
"Tuder the new dispensation." What does that mean? Is it
not the fair inference that she asked that he would abandon all iiis
past ideas, become a follower of the new dispensation and join wiih
her? The answer to-day is that she asked that he would give up
drink. Does that look like the way she. an intelligent woman,
would have chosen to exi)re?.s the idea of abandoning a l)ad habit,
or is it not plainly the expression of a wish that he should join tliis
new religion, this new dispensation? It is for you to say.
THE HKJHER TRUTHS.
"^'ou ask me to forget what I know of that which has become [lart
oi' myself. These higher truths have become so ingraintvl into my.
being t' at not even death will disperse them; but even if I wei-e
perfectly willing and anxious to recant and honestly desired to
{^bide by what 3'ou demand and desiie, there are absolutely no jtosi-
tive means in my power to convince you for good, all and forevei',
that i was entirely free and uninfluenced f(n-ever from that whirli
antagonizes you.
"'That which antagonizes you." What does that mean? Do these
words j)oint to what the husband says is the trutli. that h" was ask-
ing her to come back to him. or to what .she now suggests was the
real difTicul ty?
Can you not see that there is a law here over which neither you
nor I have full control? Which places us in the most pitiabh^
plight. Shakespeare says: "Trifles light as air are proofs as strong
as holy writ," to confirm suspicion. Some innocent action or word
of mine, a chance newspaper paragraph, indexed, hundreds of irrele-
vant things, might arouse that which glows as an nnextingnishable
SF
121
fire within you. On the other hand, what guarantee could I have,
if I obeyed your will in this matter, that you fully trusted and be-
lieved me, or that you had changed your views of me? I am fully
convinced that whether I d© as you wish me to do or still pursue the
course I have iruirked out for myself, that all attempts on our part to
live the peaceful life God intends us to do by any reconciliation on
our part will be futile and useless.
Matters must now, I am sad to say, with a heart forever broken,
pursue tiie course inevitable under such unhappy and unfortunate
conditions. As I understood you when you came to see me in Oc-
tober, it was your wish and mine. So let it bel The uprootiug of
that which it took twenty-eight, nay twenty-nine, years to plant
and succor cannot be done in a short time.
The attorney for me has been in court all week. He says to please
tell you it will be totally impossible to have any meeting next week,
but week after next he can attend to it.
I know you will coincide with me in this matter, perfectly satis-
fied that our unhapi)y life lived in companionship would be far
worse tlian separation. It is inevitable! I shall be glad to see you
any time you may come to see me while matters are pending be-
tween us. Let us hope the agony may all soon be over for us both.
Your loving EMMA.
WHY THIS SACRIFICE?
Now, gentlemen, what have you to say of this? The defense
points to the fact that Mrs. Specht was living in luxury; that she
had a wealthy husband, apparently devoted to her. All this is
abandoned and a woman who moved in the best society of St. Louis,
a city, as I suppose you know, of half a million of inhabitants, aban-
dons her home and comes to a small town in Canada, takes her meals
at a hotel and lives at the house in which this i)laintiff lives. One
has heard of sacrifices before, but the defense says, "For what has
this woman sacrificed all this?" Of all the witnesses, has one been
able to tell yon, the defense say, even the name of the order to which
they have given up their money and the control of their consciences
to some extent? Has any one of them been able to tell yon one of
its doctrines or objects? And then the defense say, "Where is the
man who is coming into court and who knows all this? Why is he
not in the witness box? Why has he not been anxious to divulge
all that is necessary to show that this is not a mockery, a fraud,
taking the name of the Most High God in vain?" Of course he was
not bound to go into the box; but you may ask yourselves whether
in this case, a plaintiff seeking damages, ought not to have gone
into the box and explained some of the matters that may remain
in doubt. As the defense suggest, here is a woman who has given
up all these things and has got nothing in return, not even an aspira-
tion, not a single new hope. The conclusion ought to be. they sny,
that the woman has been influence<l by somebody to do what she
122
has done. It is for you to say whether all this philosophy, all tliis
mystery, was a mere scheme for getting money from credulous peo-
ple, whose minds perhaps were open to the seed sown, whom a wily
man could influence with the result of these wretched, unhappy
lives and broken homes.
Mrs. Allen says you ought not to believe Specht, because she con-
tradicts his statement that she went to Howard and wanted to live
with him as his wife. He does not say that she has come to Howard
and wanted to live with him as his wife. He says his wife told him
that. It is a question which is telling the truth.
What kind of a doctrine is this, the defense says, which takes a
woman away from her husband? Against his protest she quits
him to follow the apostle of this new doctrine. There must be
something wrong about it, according to tlie defendant.
Mrs. Morrey's evidence goes to support her mother in what is not
contradicted.
THE JOURNALIST'S DI TY.
Now, a journalist has a duty to perform in the community. If
he prostitutes his columns to the fishing in every dirty pool for
scandal, he deserves no sympathy, and when a jury found him pub-
lishing that, if it was libelous, public interest would be best served
by stamping out that sort of thing. A journalist has no privilege,
however worthy his motive. If the defendants have not satisfied
you that their statements are justified, the plaintiff is entitled to
recover. The questions for you to decide are, first, "Is the state-
ment libelous or not?" and, second, if so, *'Have they fully justified
what they have pnj^lished?" The money paid is to compensate the
injury he has suffered. You may take a great manj' things into
consideration. If you were satisfied that this plaintiff otbjiined this
money that he might live upon it by inducing women, or men either,
to come under his influence, hypnotic oi* wliatever it miglit be, and
that he was making use of the pretense that it was all in the name
of the High God, all part of some ancient Eastern mystery, that it
was all a sham, a mockeiy and a fraud, yo\i may perhaps say that
the sentinel that stood at the door, if lie struck him hard enough,
even if the blow was unlawful, might be excused. No man can cal-
culate the harm such a man might do in this community. If such
a man as he is alleged to be had come into this country, one would
feel sympathy, at all events, with the sentinel wlio warned people
against him.
The third charge — the allegation that he fled the country. Mr.
Specht said that he warned the plaintiff that lie intended to com-
mence criminal proceedings. Tliey went to Washington on May
11. He left, according to his own statement, leaving his property
behind. He left and went to New York and New Jersey for two
we«ks and then came to Montreal. He came and passed a portion
of the time under the name of Wilson, What was all this for?
The defense say that indicates the man was fleeing the country, and
this
peo-
wily
appy
con-
D live
ward
bim
is not
123
that it is a fair inference that lie was tieeing to avoid arrest. As
he explains it, he was warned by tlie attorney of Mrs. Specht that
he had better get out of the country. Now do you believe that? He
has not gone into the winess box to be examined before you. His
lawyer has not called him. Which do you believe?
Now, gentlemen of the jury, the facts are entirely for you. You
may think that I have a view of tlie facts, and I have a right to have
a view, but I do not want to inlluence you. It is an important mat-
ter that the plaintiff should be treated fairly. He should not be
found guilty, for that is what a verdict for the defendant would
amount to unless the evidence warrants it. But if it does, it is
equally your duty to pass on it. Is this article a libel in whole or
in any part? Have the defense succeeded in proving it substan-
tially true? If not, what are the damages?
THE VERDICT.
The jury left the court after the chief justice had explained that
the jurors could demand any of the papers filed in the case, if they
required any of them to assist in arriving at their verdict.
Most of the spectators remained in the court, but Howard, the
plaintiff, and his lady friends left the court as soon as his lordship's
charge was concluded. After an absence of considerably less than
five minutes the jury returned into court. There was not much
excitement over the verdict, as it was generally expected how the
case would go, and there was no surprise felt wlien the foreman
rose in his place, and, in response to the usual incpiiry of the clerk
of the court, said: "Verdict for the defendant."
The chief justice briefly thanked the jury and discharged them.
Mr. Hogg, Q. C,, at once asked for judgment under the verdict
just given,
"You want costs against the plaintiff, I suppose, Mr. Hogg," re-
marked Sir William, with a smile.
"Yes, may it please your lordslii})," replied Mr. Hogg.
His lordship assented and left the bench.
Some of the exhibits tiled before the commission were very inter-
esting. A few of them follow, the first being a letter publish«'d by
Howard in one of the St. Louis papers at the time he was lecturing
out there.
HOWAUDS FIUST LETTER TO MRS. SPECHT.
A. L. GGOO, S. S., 1)11 Roi, 88, A. 1). 1887.
Emma H. Specht :
Gentle Lady— Some months ago a letter of yours was forwarded
to me by one of my beloved pupils, soliciting an answer from his
master to a question propounded therein. T!ie answer has been
thus long delayed awaiting the proper time to find in your soul such
a condition of self-abnegation that would cause you to lieed it.
124
From the Council of Hu' Most High I am told to say, "Do it not."
And, furthermore, would I speak with you touching another matter.
Your desire to publish the Hebrew Kible in the Hindoo tongue
does much credit (o your I ear(, and might do some good; but not
to those whom you fondly hope to reach. For believe, gentle lady,
our (Jod has not left his faithful children in the Orient without a
light and most enlightened teachers.
In the seclusion of I heir mountain homes, having formed from ex-
perience that while I he Si)irit of the Father is all-prevailing and
everywhere exists, that the lunuan soul, distracted by the things of
the world, cannot or does not require that the caJmness that will
enable it to dwell continually under the glory of the sanctuary,
they have retired to the purer atmosphere of the forest and the
mountains upon the goodness and majesty of the Eternal Father, by
which means they do accjuire tiat purity and exaltation of soul in
which they "walk and talk with (Jod," as did Adam in the garden.
You might place the Christian Jiible in their hands, and could yo)i
meet them you would find brothers and sisters in the Lord who
could instruct even you, as did tlie good Aquila and Priscilla when
they "expounded the way of God more perfectly" to the noble
Appollos; Acts 18:2G. No, dear lady, you cannot disturb the faith
of such as these; nor can you benefit them otherwise than in the
joy that one child of God feels when he sees another one trying to
do something that will honor the one great Father.
ir>cattered here and there throughout the world are our faithful
ones, gathering up precious souls for the Kingdom of God, and in-
structing those who are worthy in the more perfect way. We
would not disturb the hope of a single Christian soul, but would
rather strengthen it and perfect it until they might find it truly
revealed with Christ and God; nor have we anything contrary to
the pure teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. Therefore, gentle lady, I
pray you do not deem us the heathen you have been told, but rather
esteem us friends who are hiboring for the glory of God, our Father
In the Earth. If yon desire further conference with me, I will re-
ceive your communications through the channel of Colonel Price
as now. And now, may the blessing of our God and the i»eace and
joy of His Spirit descend upon and abide in your soul tnrough the
spirit of His Son, is the prayer of His most humble servant,
THE SAGE OF ARU.
Montreal. 11th June, 1891.
ANOTHER LETTER.
Mrs. E. E. H. Specht, 372^ Pine street, St. Louis, Mo.:
My Dear Chela— Your very welcome letter came to hand last
evening. I presume it is quite unnecessary for me to assure yon
of the interest with which I had been looking forward to its receipt,
knowing, as I did and do, that there will not be a stone left un-
turned to overthrow the work I have done in your city. My letter
125
to your sou was u»( iuteuded by any means to be a tribtue to any
one. It was the truth as I saw it, and my desire was to so impress
upon the mind of my young friend that he might not be misled into
taking a false step that he would live to regret all the rest of his
life; also that it might not be said of me that I had knowingly al-
lowed an oj)portunity to pass unimproved to sow the seed of peace
and good will among men.
You know the watchers are always on the lookout for tlie failings
of those who have named the Uigher Name, and to bring charges
against the very chosen sons of the Most High Gods.
I am sorry you gave my address to Col. Moore. It was my in-
structions for you to receive such communications yourself, and then
forward them to me, and I would send my rejUios to you for dis-
tribution. This is what the ottice of secretary of our order means —
it saves the Master from contact with the outer world and enables
you to maintain your position of superiority as my confident and
friend. When Col. Moore writes me, which I hardly expect that
he ever will, for his interest in mo being mostly curiosity, I will be
obliged now to answer him direct or give a personal ol'l'mse, be-
cause I cannot explain to him that he is nothing to me, though !ie
were a thousand times a thirty-third degree Mason, for be it known
unto you that the least one of my little class in St. Louis is more
precious in our sight than the wliole fraternity, my children in the
love of Crod, precious souls born into tlie Kingdom of the Spirit in
the fullness of time, souls for which I am responsible in the sight
of the Father. Can you not see your relationship to me has nothing
in common with the exorteric brotherhood now called Masons?
If I could bear you continually in my arms, and so preserve you
from the evil that must assuredly come upon you, how thankful I
would be you will never know, for it is only those to whom God has
committed the care of human souls that can know the love for such
souls.
You must not think I am finding fault with what you did. I am
only showing you how our order works. It is the most secret order
in the world, and we never tell to outsiders who are its members un-
der any circumstances whatsoever. I am not the master to such
as he; he thinks he is just as wise and just as holy as any man.
AN UNKNOWN COUNCIL.
In our order the supreme control is vested in an unknown council.
The master is not known, and if I were receiving my proper respect
I should be protected from the troublesome contact with the gross
financial cares and left free to pursue the higher tilings of the Spirit,
and by this means all the brotherhood would be blest; but as it is
I am worried from day to day to provide the means to keep the
necessities of life in the house, and if I were to refuse to work for
the sick because they were unable to pay ray fees, I would stand
12G
condemned before the angels ass one who was prostituting my God-
given powers for earthly gain. See?
Therefore, I umst work, pay or no pay. Again, I cannot under
present eondilions of living, use my higher powers to heal the sick,
only such as arc boiu of my own experience and knowledge, while
1 should be able to conuuand all the life-giving forces of nature.
This is why I am so anxious to get our home established as soon
as possible. And now this brings me to the question of the Daniel's
property. I have nothing lo sav about what Mr. Specht may desire
to do with it, if he desires to i)urcliase it for a personal home. I
certainly have no obection, for we have no nu)ney to enter into com-
petition with him. All I can siiy is that I think it will make you
a most beautiful home if you can enjoy it.
Speaking of patients, have you any view?
My viisit to Missouri, which was undertaken on a moment's no-
tice, owing to the necessity to redeeui our cause from the errors of
its tlrst introduction to the St. Louis public, has completely upset
my business here, and I would like to liave three or four good-paying
people come on at once, to enable me to meet my current expenses.
Do you hear anything nu)re of Mrs. Mason Smith?
1 am a little disa])])ointed that she has not said sonu*thing about
her absence from our last meeting.
Have you heard anything from Miss (iarvey lately? What kind
of a notice did we get in hei- paper? I am very anxious for the well
being of my little flock that nuiy be kept in the power of the Sjjirit
and the newness of life as it is in (iod. You are as children who
have conu' into a now and stronger light than you have ever known
before, and it is very dillicult for you to discern between this true
light and the false lights thsU are the first to meet your vision, and
1 pray God to strengthen you where you are weak and to guide you
where you lack experience.
Allow me to thank you for the help you gave to our dear Mrs. Al-
len. She is a precious soul, to w!iom has been entrusted great pos-
sibilities.
Give my paternal love to all of your little band.
For your dear daughter and yourself accept the Master's blessing.
My most kindly renuMubrance to the rest of your family.
I am your faithful fiMend and sponsor
N. B. — (Tn Howard's handwriting.)
Mrs. Howard just asked me if I had remarked your kind message
to herself, and I said no. Then you just better do it, she said, or I
will write myself, so as to save you. My darling wife's k'nd regards.
My new machine is not working quite smoothly yet. It some-
times prints one letter over another.
iGod-
iider
Isick,
'bile
Isouu
liel's
jesire
M'. I
com-
vou
DR. HOWARD'S PHILOSOPHY.
The Indian Yoi^i and Their Peculiar Tenets.
A LETTER FROM THE DOCTOR.
It Was One of the Exhibits in the Big Libel Trial at Perth.
(Continued from yesterday.)
Among the exhibits filed with the evidence of the commission to
the United States, whioli i)Iayed such an ini])ortant part in the big
libel trial at Perth, was the following letter written by Dr. Howard,
and published by him in one of the St. Louis papers while he was
lecturing there:
THE HINDOO YO(}I.
A PECULIAR SCHOOL OF PHILOSOPIIEKS AND ITS TENETS.
LIFE DEVOTED TO CONTEMPLATION OF THE HUMAN SOUL
AND ITS RELATION TO THE DIVINE SOtlL— HOV\ THE
MIND IS WITHDRAWN FROM THINOS EARTHLY HV AR-
TIFICIAL AID.
The peculiar school of Hindoo philosophers known us the Yogi
are a much misunderstood people; and this, no doubt, is in a great
measure due to the fact that the persons who are calleti Yogins, and
who are the ones seen by the people, are not the real philosophers,
but, rather, a class of ascetics who practice only the exoteric branch
of the Yoga.
The Yogi may with perfect propriety be divided into two quite
different branches, the first being those of whom we hear and see
the most. These people practice austerities so severe as to amount
to nothing short of physical torture. As an example of this, men-
tion may be made of a few of the most common practices in vogue
among them. \^'hen an aspirant has determined upon the form of
the austerity lie will adopt, he then selects the place where his
meditations shall be conducted. You can see young men and old
sitting, usually in some quiet place, staring into vacancy with an
127
128
absoibcd, iinsccinj; i!;iVM\ iK'tfcctly oblivions to all out ward thinj^H
pasHJii}; around llicm. Soiuetiiin's they will liav«' one hand thnist
out straight, soniclinics acroHH the breast, or it nni,v be behind the
back; or yet, a^ain, it may be the arm has been bent so (hat the
closed hand rests in the axilla. At other times it may be the foot
or le<; is put into some unnatunil position, which, lon«j; continued,
nuist produce ex<iuisite physical torture. The position, once taken,
is lU'ver abandoned, and it is often (piite sickening' to see the tor-
ture, self-inllicted, these poor, deluded creatures bear, not only witli-
out, but with apparent absolute unc(»nsciousness of bodily pain.
Just fancy what deteiinination they must be possessed of to enable
them to carry the arm for yeais in the one position, the haiul bent
up into the arm i)it, and held liKU'e until, from inaction, the muscles
have shrunken away, leaving' the joints rij^id and the ai'U) ;i mere
shriveled incubus, while the tinker nails, from bein^ lonjf uncut, are
ji'rowin^' like claws lln'oujj,h the withered |)alm; the body clothed in
rajis and c(i\-ered with — well, say dii't. They never ask oi' seek for
food, but dt'|»end entirely upon the chance dish of rice which souu'
kind-hearted native may biinj; to their bowl, and drinkiii};' watei-
for their <;()urd. This utter indiU'erence is at lirst, of course, as-
sumed, and nutintained by the strenj^th of will; at last, however, it
beconu's an ac(piired fa(;ulty.
This is called the imjx'tuous system, and is not approved of in the
Yoj>a Sutras, because it does not yield the results looked for and
obtained by the true Yoj^i. It is, however, alou}"' the same line as
those Christian orders who follow literally tl'e advice of St. Paul:
*'If ye live after the tiesh ye shall die; but if ye through the spirit do
mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live," and who for this ])ur
pose wmw sackcloth, scourj^c themselves and practice all manner
of devices to liumiliate and atllict the poor body, that they nuiy
overcome the num in themselves, and so become worthy to inherit
heaven, with its house of many mansions. It is historically recorded
that a certain female saint of Christian Spain boasted, "She has not
washed hei-self for uu)r(* than sixty years, and Kinjjj I'hilip destroyed
tlie public baths which the Moors had built, "liecause," he said,
"bathing' is not Christian pra(;tice." liut really it does not seem
so bad to have ('hristians starve and beat themselves for Jesus'
sake and to win saintly honor, as it does for the dark-skinned Hin-
doo to sit around und(M' the shade of tlie mighty Banyan tree, nearly
naked, half starved and quite oblivious to their un])leasant condi-
tion, lost in contemj)latinff the nature and possibilities of the soul.
Th(» one is heathen and the other Christian, you know.
The class of persons above described, although great ascetics, are
not the ones properly called the Yogi.
THE SANKHYA SYSTEM.
The Yogi with whom it is our present purpose to deal are a sect
or school of philosophers, whose speculations have to do with the
12U
subject of the soul in its abstract sense; also do with the sribject of
the soul and its relations to the Divine soul. The iiaino Yo^an
means one who observes the rules of Yoga. Yoga is the second
division of the Sankh^'a system. There are really six systenis called
Daranas, into which the speculations of the ages of the almost for-
gotten past have been collected, and, so to speak, coditled. The
term Yoga, as here used, is, perhaps, best rendered as meaning con-
centration, and is a derivation from the Hanskrit word "Yug," to
join in the sense of blending. Hence the object of the Yoga practice
is to produce a condition of blending of the individual soul of the
devotee with the universal soul. The intelligence of the universe
is the soul of God, the name used being Iswara-Lord, or God. It is
desirable at this point to call attention to the fact that the Yoga
Sutras does not deal with God the Infinite as the Infinite Supreme
Being, but as the Universal Supreme Soul. The reason why it is
deemed best to draw attention at this early stage to this distinction
is to prevent confusing the soul with the spirit; because, unless
this distinction is preserved, we are liable to fall into the common
error and so miss the whole meaning of the Yoga system. There-
fore, always remember, while reading of the Yoga Sutras that they
do not deal with the subject of the spirit at all. This is the great
mistake of all modern translators, whether Hindoo or European.
Pantanjali, who was Ihe compiler of the Yoga system, speaks of the
infinite soul, of the eternity of the soul, of the universal soul, etc.,
and, as before remarked, he uses the word Isvvara, but not as
Brahma (neuter). He defines Iswara as a particular Purusha. Now,
according to the Vedic use of the word I'urusha, it means a com-
bination of imparted energies conferred upon an individual, usually
a special creation, as in this case, the purpose of whose existence
is to create ofitspring; and as all things are created after their kind,
in accordance with nature's law, so from Purusha Iswara, the uni-
versal soul, "springs all souls as the sparks from a fire." Pantanjali
further defines Iswara as the one "in whom the germ of omiuiscience
reaches its utmost limit, and whose appellation is 'Om,' the term
of glory." From it comes all knowledge of Iswara.
Iswara, then, is what might most properly be called the soul of
God, as in contradistinction to the Spirit of God-Spirit being life
and energy, soul being knowledge of the faculty by which things
are perceived, compared and known. The human soul, we are told,
is a part of the universal soul, the offspring of Iswara, that is im-
prisoned in the body for a time and for a purpose; and that purpose
is to give intelligence to the matter which has been organized and
vivified by the spirit of life into a living mass, with power to act,
and requiring the presence and influence of the soul-knowledge to
guide and control its energies to some useful end.
The intention of the Yoga Sutras is to teach mankind how to re-
establish the union of the personal with the universal soul, and to
maintain this union while our scails are yet imprisoned in their
earthly tenement. Pantanjali says: "^lan is kept apart from the
130
supreme and intinite existence by various obstacles, such as bis rest-
lessness and activity. These must be hindered by a repeated effort
to keep the mind in a modified state, or by dispassion, which is the
consciousness of having overcome all desires for objects that are
seen on earth or read of in the Scriptures."
He then proceeds to enumerate the various methods by which
this end may be accomplished. There are many artificial aids to
this. One of the principal physical actions is that of regulating the
breath, which is divided under three heads, viz: Inspiration, expira-
tion and suppressi m. (It is most singular to note the effect of this
effort upon the senses when it is done properly and according to the
rules prescribed.) The act of regulating the breath is called in the
Sanskrit Pranayama, and full directions as to the preparations for
and the mode of performing the same are carefully taught, because
it is as dangerous for the untaught, or profane, as it is beneficial to
those wlio have the proper knowledge. ''By restraining," says the
great teacher and Yogin, "the devotee gains a knowledge of the
past and future, a knowledge of the sounds of all animals, of all that
has happened before, of thet houghts of others, of the time of his
own death, a knowledge of all that exists in the different worlds and
the structui'e of his own body.''
MODERN INVESTIGATION.
It is interesting to note how closely the investigations of the most
improved systems of the modern scientific physical experiments
have followed along the path of the Hindoo Yogi, and one who
knows the condition produced by Pranayama is inclined to wonder
why such daring observers as Charcot have not carried their experi-
ments a little further, and found for themselves how wonderful are
the things they might know. However, they disjtlay wisdom in not
carrying their inciuiry too far. Unless it is conducted strictly on
the Yogi system, the mode or rules for which were well understood
before the days of Pai-^+anjali, the result may be neither beneficial
nor pleasant to the subject. This is not a foolish saying, tlirown
out to appear mysterious, but a fact often seen and never understood
except by the adepts who know ; and, lest you may think so, we will
call attention to the fact well known that a subject under hypnotic
control is deaf to t'^'ery voice except that of the operator, blind to
all that he does not wish him to see and dumb to every one except
to him whose will dominates the mind. It is plain, therefore, that
in the case of hypnotic control, the subject has lost something from
his normal state; and this is not a single faculty, nor is it all the
faculties of the mind. This lost something seems to be partly the
intuition, both of which are dominated by the ruling force of anoth-
er's mind in the active stage. By means of this obscuring of the
senses in the subject the operator is enabled to call forth a latent
power or sub-consciousness, by which he can bring this newly de-
Teloped faculty of the subject into contact with persons and things
best-
fort
the
ai*e
I'M
entirely removed from the normal state of the subject's mind, or, for
that matter, from his personal knowledge.
The experiments in physical phenomena ever since the days of
Mesmer have been trying in vain to understand the why in all these
matters, and to explain by what element of the mind they are able
to produce such results. They have found that by the use of certain
drugs a condition can be produced which in part resembles the effect
of hypnotism; but no drug can do so entirely, because it is lacking
in the matter of the activfl dominating will. Again, where drugs
are used as a stimulant, a condition similar to the trance ecstacy
may be secured. But it is without system, reason or control, while
it further differs from the former by leaving the subject open to be
acted upon by any inliuence or intelligence that may for tlie time be-
ing choose to assume the control while the mind is thus unbalanced.
The use of any drug operation or process by which the mind of the
individual can be thrown out of its normal balance, such as God —
Iswara — first established, is a sin against the soul of the individual,
is a sin against the universal soul, because it interferes with the in-
dependence of action of the individual soul, and assumes a preroga-
tive, which the Infinite God Himself will not exercise. God does not
in any case interfere with the exercise of man's free will in matters
of the mind only. This fact is fully recognized in the Darsanas, and
no pious Brahmin will exercise such a mastery over the mind of his
pupil. It is a sin. Nor will he do so even to an enemy, because he
must in a measure become identified with the evil that is in the
mind of that individual enemy. Therefore, the followers of the
Rag- Veda are positively restrained from such an exercise of the will
as against another. It is, however, one of the highest aims of a
pious Hindoo to cultivate within himself that condition by which he
can knowingly and intelligently place his individual soul in sym-
pathetic union with the universal soul.
Throwing aside all disguises, the Yoga practice has for its object
the two-fold purpose; first, of teaching the devotee how to elevate
his own soul above the influences of things pertaining to time and
sense to that condition of self-renunciation by which all desires of
hie material man are overcome that might otherwise disturb the
sublime quiet necessary to the contemplation of the divine "nature
of the soul;" and, second, to teach him how to preserve himself from
the influence of passing intelligences or of disembodied souls, while
he is in this perfectly passive state (called Samadhi).
PRESCRIBED POSTURES.
The student of the Yoga system begins to exercise himself in a
series of prescribed postures, in which he perfects himself as an
athlete does when preparing for feats of physical endurance; and
after having obtained a certain degree of proficiency, he commences
pranayama, of the art of regulating the breathing at the same
period concentrating the mind to contemplate the mystery of Is-
132
wara. It must be remembered the mind, as here had in view, is not
in mind in its active state as an energy; but rather the intuition
faculty of the soul, placed by means of certain set formula into sym-
pathetic harmony with the universal. In this attitude of the indi-
vidual toward the universal soul the mind of the operator becomes
aware of what is passing outside the limited circle of his personal
surroundings, and which pertains to the knowledge of things uni-
versal. It is presumed to be understood that while stating the facta
regarding this system of personal indorsement is offered. How-
ever, it may be remarked that the Yoga system finds its analogy
partly in the course pursued to develop a medium among the spir-
itualists, and also in the development of a lucide under hypnotie
domination as practiced by the present French school.
The reason why it becomes necessary to mention both of these is
this: The Yoga is in a certain sense self-hypnotized; but with this
difference between him and the hypnotized one, that in the latter
case the condition is induced through the agency of the senses,
active in observation, the eyes being fixed upon something which
attracts and holds the attention; but the Yogin turns his vision in-
ward, and contemplates Iswara as within his own body, having his
eyes directed to the seat of the solar plexees of nerves. The differ-
ence in the developing medium and the Yoga student consists in the
fact that the medium's mind is made as nemr a blank as possible, so
that a sufficiently passive state may be reached for the purpose of
inviting a communication with the souls of the disembodied, which
are still individual, and the highest development ever obtained by
such medium is to be able to receive and transmit personal com-
munications of a specific and personal character, while tlie Yogin
arms himself against this very sort of thing by cutting oft" all com-
munication of a personal nature, and leaping past the particular, se-
cures union with the universal soul.
Again, in the case of the hypnotized subject, we find the will of
the lucide is only passive as regards self, but is dominated by the
active will of the operator through whose agency a sub-conscious
faculty of observation, latent in every soul, is forced into action.
Instead of this, the soul of the Yogin is joined to the universal
soul — passive — with which he, for the time being, becomes identi-
fied; so the soul of the individual coalesces with and is absorbed
into the course of all knowledge, which is Iswara (Soul of God). In
this condition he can in very truth say: ''Now I know as I am
known."
The true devotee does not enter upon his course with any view to
self-aggrandizement or the actjuirement of supernatural powers for
display before an astonished or credulous audience of less gifted
mortals; nor does he practice such acts of physical torture as the
persons described in the beginning of this article. The object he
has in view is far too holy for any such display, and he would shun
it as he would the bite of an angry cobra. As before stated, he
seeks to know and be Identified with the universal soul— as Iswara,
133
the knowledge of God — and this is one of the greatest acquirements
possible to man, and the very highest possible to him as soul. This
is Yogism, or the science of the soul. But this sort of soul philoso-
phy is not taught as the highest science of the Rig-Vida. The sys-
tem of the Vegas is the last of the Darsanas, and it deals exclusively
with the spirit, or man as an active agent, self-responsible, and his
relation of the Infinite Spirit, as the active energy of God-Brahma.
^ 'Jf. ,^/o74^^9^^^
MRS. SPECHT'S ANSWER TO HOWARD'S FIRST LETTER TO
HER, WHEREIN SHE IS ADDRESSED AS "GENTLE
LADY."
To the Reverend and Respected Master, the Sage of Aru :
Before opening your letter, most esteemed Sage and teacher, I felt
the solemnity and sacredness of the duty that devolved upon me to
receive it in the proper spirit and the inexpressible weight and bear-
ing it would have been upon my destiny. Not daring to hasten the
opening of it, I whispered for aid and guidance from the Christ on
high, who never fails me when I abide in the pure rays of the sanc-
tified presence, my eyes lighted upon the words of Isaiah iv., 6-24th
verses: And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto
the Lord out of all nations, etc., etc. I had felt some intuitive per-
ception, unwilling within me at times during the last few months,
that there was some one of your holy order endeavoring to com-
municate with me, and I told the precious Father that I knew if ex-
pedient for me I would receive it at the proper time, and so I now
consign myself into His keeping, duty, like Paul, who says, "I be-
seech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present
your bodies a living sacrifice holy, acceptable unto God, which is
your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world; but
be ye transferred by the renewing of your mind, that ye may have
that wliat is good and acceptable and perfect, will of God." And
] read, '*Do it not." The profoundest depths of my soul were stirred
and which sunk within me into reveries of —
But there is a very tried impression that the Great All Father
has wisdom; wisdom, righteous love, not that the wisdom by which
we gain the Holy Ones being aflflnity. And so I fflin would prove
what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." For
has He not said in Isaiah iv., 11, 20th verse:
"And I will bring the blind by the way that they know not. I
will lead them in paths that they have not known; I will make
darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These
things will I do unto them and not forsake them." I have not de-
stroyed my manuscript, but I have abandoned it, and will not take it
with me to the country unto which I journey in a few days. And as
134
I now consign what has been to me the work of a lifetime, almost
very many lovely and beautiful Rhapasadism, much physical and
intellectual knowledge, very great life lessons and soul-inspiring
troubles (but no solemn holy mysteries), have thus found their
burial. I was part of my life, my companion, for many years, and
the deep soul hunger of a child of God, who sees millions perishing
for the look of even a little knowledge, must now be quenched, who
would fain touch them some crumbs, for all right words, bring and
holy.
I can do all things through Christ which strengthen me. (Phil.,
14:13.) But, alas! it was after all but the humanly devised — of a
humble; and there was one object with which it dealt which causes
deep anxiety and mortification, and of this I am forever relieved.
I think the Divine God's sigh of infinite gratitude goes up as incense
to the sweet, precious, and whose presence and leadings are mine.
I will rest satisfied to feel the untold privileges have been vouch-
safed unto me by the precious Lord, who am but an humble woman,
and can never aspire to the light of . Thanks, dear master, for
your disinterested living interest in this matter. Ah, I tell you my
heart jubilates and rejoices with rapturous — when I read of the dear
ones so far sundered from me, who nevertheless live in that pure,
holy calm of Spiritual, endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit
in the land of peace — and if we walk in the light, as He is in the
light, we have fellowship one with another, and be fellow-helper to
the truth. Ah, yes; the charity and love inculcated by unlo\ed
Christ does not allow the true believers to judge of His human chil-
dren. "Judge not that ye may not be judged, for with what ever
measure you meet it shall be meted unto you."' May not, who anj
I but a fallible mortal that I should arrogate unto myself the tre-
mendous responsibility and presumption of consigning my Hindoo
jap, chieves, and to any sort of alienship from the great Father of
OS all. How do I know what that spirit is that worketh with man
from the beginning: If they shall not reign in Christ, hence, are
these not other spheres? But my heart aches for the condition of
the women in general of my own sex and the innocent littleness.
But, on the other hand, my heart wails forth anguish of spirit at the
dreadful spectacle we present to the world collectively as Christians,
being so totally contrary to the teachings of Christ, that mysterious
God principle who has hovered over and worked with humanity
for untold ages, and was incarnated for the purpose of combatting
and counteracting the insiduous intriguing power of Satan and his
tribes of evil, that antagion force, alas! was never created as well
to was also a power of good, wherefore, that conflict. Why
is man so prone to forget his high duty?
EMMA E. H. SPEOHT.
HOWARD IN PRESCOTT,
Ont., in I8S9 and 1890.
The following exhibit is furnished by the Deputy Register, Mr.
James Clint, being an official copy from the Register's Otfice in the
town of Prescott, the sale of the estate having occurred February
26, 1890:
IN THE MATTER OF
TilE ESTATE OF Q. S. HOWARD,
OF PRESCOTT, INSOLVENT.
First and Final Dividend Sheet, showing 10 cts. on the Dollar.
PRIVILEGED CLAIMS.
I. D. Purkis (Office Rent) $60 00
Goldie & McCullongh (on Safe) 18 75
Celsus Price (Salary-3 months) 120 00
Maria Fraser ( House Rent) 25 00
Quintus Price (Salary — 3 months) 120 00
343 75
135
186
ORDINARY CLAIMS.
NAME.
Co.
Wm. Foster Brown A
Artliia-iJordan
Jotta-fi. Huntington
I8aa6 W. Plumb
Celsus Price
Harper VVillard
W. G. Robinson
R. W, Rosa & Co
Carman & McDonald
F. F. Prouse
Cooper & Judge
Louis H. Daniels
Albert Davis
Assignee of J. R. Wrightson
A. O. Harding
Bradley & Co
W. S. Brown & Co
James Smith
Thomas Fisher
Keeler & Mason
Norton Miller
Joseph Tanner
Jas. A. Ogilvy & Sons, about (claim not proven).
[$2.50 held till claim proved.]
ChAlU.
$14 33
10 00
8 00
32 00
80 00
16 65
2 50
56 42
26 11
9 50
12 00
31 50
36 00
3 00
8 73
108 57
18 77
52 70
36 83
28
30
00
25 00
600 19
DiVIDXNB.
$1
1
4S
00
80
3 20
8 00
1 67
25
64
61
95
20
15
m
30
87
10 8ft
5
2
1
3
3
1
6
8S
27
3 68
4a
83
40
2 50
60 02
If no objections to the above, the several amounts will be paid in eight
days from this date.
JAMES CLINT, Trustbe.
Prescott, Ont., March 8th, 1890.
BBCEIPTS.
Total amount received from Household Furniture, Barn, Tools, Bug-
gies, &c ; $352 98
Medicine sold by Mr. Price (to apply on his claim) 40 00
Received from sale of Balance of Contents of Office 127 03
520 01
DISBURSEMEITTS.
By Paid for Transfer Two Policies of Insurance $1 00
" for taking stock in Office and assistance making inventory 5 00
" John Robinson, posting bills 75
'• Printing Account, Messenger 14 46
" for assistance getting ready for sale, and at and after sale, includ-
ing Auctioneer's fees 20 00
" One month's Rent of House 8 34
'• Office.: 5 00
'• for closing opening made in old barn by removal of new one 1 00
" for Cleanmg House 75
" Solicitor's account, Messrs. French & Saunders 27 90
" Pc '.age, stationery, distributing dodgers and other incidentals. . . 6 04
" Assignee's commission, 5 per cent 26 00
" Preferential claims 343 75
•' Dividend on ordinary claims at 10 centa on the dollar 60 02
620 01
■);,v;^"''" ''"■■' ■■.''a -•
I I,,
■■"v;_^,:''. .* ■ ' ■ -
"'•'i- _■■'>':■!'-;■
■i4 -'.-"■'■ ^
''He fled to Canada either to avoid giving evidence
or to evade arrest, and in Canada he has remained
ever since. The winters may be cold here and Gunston
may be warm, but he prefers the cold north, with a
fur overcoat, to Fairfax County gaol."— From the addreee
to the jury by Mr. Oslbk, Q. C. (of Toronto), representing the
defense in the trial. ,
t .V'*.
" He is a deceiver of women with his mysteries anc
nonsense and balderdash. He extracts money. Fc
what purpose? Howard's pocket!"— From the address t
the jury by Mr. Osler, Q. C. (of Toronto), representing the d<
tense in the trial.
.?^*'
.s!&:
1. ', **• ^^ J